Read Stem Cells and Meristems
A concise NSEB read for stem cells and meristems. Learn the key idea, then apply it in the linked practice.
Living-system questions are solved by matching a structure or organism to its function, process and stated condition.
Core idea
Cell division alone does not make a tissue a meristem. Plant meristems contain relatively undifferentiated cells that can generate multiple plant cell types; basal skin cells mainly replenish cells within the epithelial lineage. Compare developmental potential, not simply whether cells divide.
Stem Cells versus Meristems
Explain why skin basal cells differ from plant meristems. Plant meristems contain relatively undifferentiated cells capable of producing diverse tissue cell types. Basal skin cells divide mainly to replace cells of the same epithelial lineage rather than functioning as a plant-like developmental meristem. Hence the best distinction is that they replace their own cell type rather than generating diverse plant tissues.
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- ✓Cell division alone does not make a tissue a meristem.
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