A deer is grazing on some hillside shrubs. It bites into the leaves of one plant and immediately spits it out because it tastes bad. Which cellular component saved the plant from being eaten down to its roots by the deer?

The center vacoule

Explanation:

Vacuoles are membrane-bounded vesicles whose functions vary in different kinds of cells. Mature plant cells generally contain a large central vacuole.

The plant cell central vacuole is a varsatile compartment. It can hold reserve of important organic material such as protein stockpiled and inorganic ions. Many plant cells use their vacuoles as a disposal sites for metabolic by-products that would endanger the cell if the accumulate in the cytosol.

Vacuoles may also help protect the plant against predators by containing compounds that are poisonous or unpalatable to animals.