Meristems are defined as which of the following?

Meristems are defined as which of the following?

• A. The tissue that conducts food from leaves to other plant parts
• B. The tissue that stores nutrients
• C. The tissue that divides and reproduces
• D. The tissue that transports water

Answer: (C)

Meristems are growth tissues in plants made up of actively dividing, undifferentiated cells. Their primary role is to produce new cells, which allows the plant to grow in length and girth and to give rise to all other specialized tissues. Because their purpose is cell division and production, they’re described as the tissue that divides and reproduces. As these new cells form, they differentiate into other tissues such as epidermis, cortex, xylem, and phloem, supporting overall plant development. The other statements point to differentiated tissues with specific transport or storage roles (food transport, nutrient storage, water transport), which are not what meristems do.

Meristems are growth tissues in plants made up of actively dividing, undifferentiated cells. Their primary role is to produce new cells, which allows the plant to grow in length and girth and to give rise to all other specialized tissues. Because their purpose is cell division and production, they’re described as the tissue that divides and reproduces. As these new cells form, they differentiate into other tissues such as epidermis, cortex, xylem, and phloem, supporting overall plant development. The other statements point to differentiated tissues with specific transport or storage roles (food transport, nutrient storage, water transport), which are not what meristems do.