MERISTEMATI

C TISSUES
MEENUJA .M.J
NATURAL SCIENCE

INTRODUCTION

Tissues are group of similar cells

Together carry out a specific function
Called so, because of their identical fn
Study Histology
Study in connection with a disease Histopathology
Meristematic tissues are the tissues present in
plant

MERISTEMATIC TISSUES

Group of immature cells that are in a continuous state of

division

Found in those regions which need to grow continuously.

Term meristem suggested by Nageli, 1858

Also called formative tissue

All permanent tissues are derived from meristematic tissues

Plants produce new tissues and organs all thorough their life
by this meristematic activity

CHARACTERS

Capable of division and production of new cells.

Usually isodiametric in shape

Compactly arranged without intercellular spaces

Cell walls are thin and cellulosic

Abundant cytoplasm

Prominent nucleus

Do not store reserve food materials

Vacuoles absent or very small

CLASSIFICATION

Based on position
Apical

meristem
Intercalary meristem
Lateral meristem

Based on origin
Promeristem
Primary

meristem
Secondary meristem

PROMERISTEM
Found in embryo
Also called primordial / embryonic meristem
These cells divide and give rise to primary
meristem.
Primary meristem Apical & Intercalary
appear early in the life of a plant
responsible for the formation of primary plant body
Primary growth involves development of new parts
of a plant and growth in length of a particular part
These cells divide and give rise to primary
permanent tissues of the plant body.

SECONDARY MERISTEM

Originates from permanent tissue during the course of

growth

Some of the permanent tissues regain their

meristematic activity and become the secondary tissue

Includes lateral meristems

Increase the thickness of the plant body

Also called as secondary thickening / secondary

growth

APICAL MERISTEM

present at the growing tips of stems and roots

increases the length of the stem and root
Responsible for primary growth
Also called as growing point

Apical meristem are composed of several layers

1 - Central zone
2 - Peripheral zone
3 - Medullary (i.e. central) meristem
4 - Medullary tissue

The number of layers varies according to plant type

In general the outermost layer is called the tunica

while the innermost layers are the corpus.

The corpus and tunica play a critical part of the plant

in physical appearance

Apical meristems may differentiate into three kinds

of primary meristem

Protoderm - lies around the outside of the stem and

develops into the epidermis.

Procambium - lies just inside of the protoderm and

develops into primary xylem and primary phloem. It also
produces the vascular cambium

Ground meristem develops into the pith. It produces the

cork cambium

These meristem are responsible for primary growth, or an

increase in length or height

Similarly in Root apical meristem

quiescent center - The center of the root apical meristem is

occupied by a quiescent center which has low mitotic
activity

calyptrogens (live root cap cells)

INTERCALARY MERISTEM

This meristem is located in between permanent tissues.

It is usually present at the base of node, inter node and on
leaf base.
They are responsible for growth in length
In angiosperms, intercalary meristems occur only in
monocot (particularly grass) stems at the base of nodes
and leaf blades.

They are capable of cell division and allow for rapid

growth and re growth of many monocots.

Intercalary meristem at the nodes of bamboo allow for

rapid stem elongation, while those at the base of most
grass leaf blades allow damaged leaves to rapidly regrow.

LATERAL MERISTEMS

Lateral meristems are found near the periphery

of stems and roots and are responsible for
increase in diameter

known as secondary growth and secondary

tissues

This meristem consist of cells which mainly

divide in one plane and cause the organ to
increase in diameter and growth.

Eg cork cambium, interfascicular cambium

CONCLUSION

Meristmatic cells are the only dividing cell that

present in plants
They are present mainly in the tip of root and stem
based on their position and origin they are
classified in to many type.

All permanent tissues are derived from

meristematic tissues