The wall gives the cell its shape and surrounds the cytoplasmic membra

I choose E as the singular subject cell verifies with singular verb originates. However, I am wrong. I would request Roy867 and other members to confirm where I went wrong.

The meaning of E does not make sense.

(E) The wall gives the cell its shape and surrounds the cytoplasmic membrane, protecting it from the environment to help it to anchor appendages, which originates in the cytoplasm membrane and protrude through the wall to the outside.

First of all the subject is "the wall"
The wall --> gives the shape.
The subject is not "the cell"

The next part is -ing, so lets look at it in a bit more details.
E says - The wall protects the cell TO anchor appendages.
This does not make sense at all. Why would the wall protect the cell TO anchor?
D says - The wall protects the cell from environment and also anchors the appendages. Ok this makes much more sense, the two functions of the wall.

Finally, we come to "which" at the end of the sentence.
"Which" here refers to the appendages - plural.
The appendages originate in the cytoplasm and protrude through the wall.

We should look at the grammatical rules, only if the final sentence makes sense. Meaning is the key.

The wall gives the cell its shape and surrounds the cytoplasmic membrane, protecting them from the environment, helping to anchor appendages, which originate in the cytoplasm membrane and protrude through the wall to the outside.

A. protecting them from the environment, helping to anchor appendages, which originate - [them] should refer [cell], [cell] is in the singular form, so [them] should be [it] - INCORRECT

B. protecting them from the environment, help to anchor appendages, which originates - (1) [them] should refer [cell], [cell] is in the singular form, so [them] should be [it]; (2) [protecting] and [helping] should be parallel; (3)[which originates] modifies [appendages], which is plural noun, so [which originate] would be appropriate - INCORRECT

C. protecting them from the environment and helping to anchor appendages, which originates - (1) [them] should refer [cell], [cell] is in the singular form, so [them] should be [it]; (2) [which originates] modifies [appendages], which is plural noun, so [which originate] would be appropriate - INCORRECT

D. protecting it from the environment and helping to anchor appendages, which originate - CORRECT

E. protecting it from the environment to help it to anchor appendages, which originates - (1) [protecting ... to help] changes meaning of the sentence; (2) [which originates] modifies [appendages], which is plural noun, so [which originate] would be appropriate - INCORRECT

Hello RahulHGGmat,

We hope this finds you well.

Having gone through the question and your query, we believe we can resolve your doubt.

Option D is correct, as the verb phrase "which originate" refers to the noun "appendages", not to the noun "cell"; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.