A turgid leaf or cell is best described as:

• A. Swollen with water
• B. Shriveled and dry
• C. Cracked from drought
• D. Sunken and pale

Answer: (A)

A plant cell becomes turgid when water fills the cell’s vacuole and creates turgor pressure against the rigid cell wall. This pressure makes the cell swell and the leaf stay firm and upright. So a turgid leaf or cell is best described as swollen with water. The other descriptions depict water loss or damage from drought—shrinking and drying, cracking from dryness, or being sunken and pale—which are not the same as the water-filled, pressure-driven swelling of a turgid cell.