Key learning points

1. Plants have unspecialised cells called meristem cells, which are located in the stem and the tips of roots and shoots.
2. Meristem cells in roots and shoots divide and differentiate to enable roots and shoots to grow longer and wider.
3. Meristem cells in the shoots also divide and differentiate to make leaves and flowers.
4. Meristem cells in the stem and roots also divide and differentiate to make tissues such as xylem and phloem.
5. Meristem tissue can be used to produce clones for crops or to protect endangered species.

Keywords

• Meristem - unspecialised cells that undergo mitosis and can differentiate into any type of plant cell

• Shoot - where new plant growth occurs above the ground

• Root - where new plant growth occurs underground

• Xylem - a plant tissue that transports water upwards through the plant

• Phloem - a plant tissue that transports sugars through the plant

Common misconception