Meristem cells in plants | Combined science | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Which of these cells is not a specialised cell?

nerve cell

red blood cell

embryonic stem cell ✓

smooth muscle cell
Which of these cells could become any type of cell in an animal?

nerve cell

smooth muscle cell

red blood cell

embryonic stem cell ✓
In multicellular organisms, body cells divide by the process of ______ to make new body cells.

'mitosis' ✓
What is the name of the process that turns an unspecialised stem cell into a specialised cell?

differentiation ✓

meiosis

mitosis

speciation
Who is correct?

Jacob: “Genes are deleted from the genome when a cell differentiates.”

Andeep: “Some genes are turned off or on when a cell differentiates.” ✓

Sofia: “Genes are added to the genome when a cell differentiates.”
True or false? All specialised body cells have the same genes present in their genome.

True ✓

False

Exit quiz

Which of these cells is not a specialised cell?

guard cell

meristem cell ✓

phloem cell

root hair cell
Which of these cells could become any type of cell in a plant?

guard cell

meristem cell ✓

phloem cell

root hair cell
Who is correct?

Sam: “Meristem cells are only found in the plant stem.”

Izzy: “Despite their name, meristem cells are only found in plant roots.”

Lucas: “Meristem cells are found in plant roots, shoots and stems.” ✓
Match each process to its function.

differentiation

⇔

turns meristem cells into specialised cells ✓

elongation

⇔

increases the size of specialised cells ✓

mitosis

⇔

makes more meristem cells ✓
During differentiation of meristem cells to become specialised cells, ______ are switched on or off.

'genes' ✓
Which statement explains why a small cutting of a plant shoot can grow into a whole plant with roots, shoots and stems?

All the cells in the cutting are unspecialised.

Only cell elongation is required to make new specialised cells and tissues.

The cutting already contains root cells.

The cutting contains meristem cells that can turn into any type of plant cell. ✓

Worksheet

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

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

Common misconception

Roots are not a tissue of the plant, or contain living cells, also that wood is not made of living cells.

Show the cells of roots and how they divide to allow the length and width of the root to grow; also the rings on trees that indicate new cell division in the trunk of a tree.

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