BRAINCAKEGrowth in Plants
Unlike animals, in which cell division happens throughout the body, growth in plants is restricted to regions called meristems. Meristem cells are small, thin-walled and undifferentiated, with large nuclei, dense cytoplasm and no large vacuole, and they divide repeatedly by mitosis.
Apical meristems at the tips of shoots and roots produce primary growth: an increase in length. Lateral meristems, such as the vascular cambium in the stems of woody plants, produce secondary growth: an increase in width (girth), adding new xylem and phloem each year. In grasses, meristems at the base of the leaves (intercalary meristems) allow leaves to regrow after grazing or mowing.
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Key terms in this lesson
- auxin
- A plant hormone that stimulates cell elongation and is involved in processes such as root formation in cuttings and shoot growth.
More in The Cell Cycle
- Asexual Reproduction
- Sporulation
- Regeneration
- Budding
- Vegetative Propagation
- Mitosis and Growth and Repair
- Measuring Growth
- Growth Patterns
All 18 lessons in The Cell Cycle · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics