Everything Life Sciences Grade 10

It is important that for each tissue type you understand:

• where it is located


• what its key structural features are and how these relate to function


• how each tissue type looks under the microscope


• how to draw biological diagrams of each structure

Meristematic tissue DUMMY

Meristematic tissue isundifferentiated tissue. Meristematic tissue contains actively dividing

cells that result in formation of other tissue types (e.g. vascular, dermal or ground tissue).

Apicalmeristematic tissue is found in buds and growing tips of plants. Lateralmeristem-

atic tissue make the plant grow thicker. Examples of lateral meristematic tissue include the

cambiumor ’bark’ found in trees. Lateral meristems occur in woody trees and plants.

Diagram Micrograph

Figure 5.3: Meristematic cells in the growing

root-tip of the onion, from a longitudinal sec-

tion. a. non-dividing cells, with chromatin-

network and deeply stained nucleoli;b. nu-

clei preparing for division;c. dividing cells;

e. pair of daughter-cells shortly after division

Figure 5.4: Micrograph of meristematic tissue

The following table highlights how the structure of the meristematic tissue is suited to its

function.

Structural adaptation Function

Cells are small, spherical or polygonal in

shape.

This allows for close packing of a large

number of cells.

Vacuoles are very small or completely

absent.

Vacuoles provide rigidity to cells thus

preventing rapid division.

Large amount of cytoplasm and a large

nucleus.

The lack of organelles is a feature of an

undifferentiated cell. Large nuclear

material contains the DNA necessary for

division and differentiation.

Table 5.1: Structural adaption and function of meristematic tissue

118 5.3. Plant tissues