What is Meristematic tissue?
Meristematic tissue is a plant tissue that can divide and help the plant grow. Hence, these tissues are located at all the places where the parts of the plant show growth.
Meristematic tissues in plants
What are the types of meristematic tissues?
There are three main types of meristematic tissues in plants:
- Apical meristem – The apical meristem is found in the growing tips of the stems and roots. It divides and increases the length of the
Apical meristem
- Lateral meristem – The lateral meristem is responsible for the lateral growth of the plants. It divides and increases the girth of the
Lateral meristem
- Intercalary meristem – The intercalary meristem is found at the base of the leaves or internodes. It facilitates the growth of the twigs into
Intercalary meristem
As all meristematic tissues are very active, their cells are filled with cytoplasm. They require a lot of energy and nutrition to carry out the various functions.
Development of meristematic tissue function
At the initial stages, all the meristematic tissues exhibit the same function of ‘simple growth’ of
the plant.
Once they divide and mature after completing the growth of the plant, their characteristics change. Then, they are differentiated into components of a single tissue. Division of labour takes place only after maturity.