Question

Intercalary meristem is responsible for the difference in length of different………………….. in the culm of sugarcane.

Answer 1

Specialized rapidly dividing cells present between the mature tissues of a plant that are part of primary meristems. They help in restoring the regenerative parts in grasses removed by herbaceous animals.

Complete answer:
Meristems are the specialized active regions of the plant where the rapid division of the cells occurs. They are of different kinds. Apical meristems and intercalary meristems are primary meristems. Apical meristems are further classified into shoot apical meristem and root apical meristem. The specialized cells which are present between mature tissues are called intercalary meristems. In the culm of sugarcane, intercalary meristems are present. Because of these meristems, the length of the internodes is different in the culm of sugarcane.
- Different kinds of meristems are found in the plants. Based on which stage they appear on the life cycle of a plant they are of two types namely primary and secondary meristems. Primary meristems are further divided into two types namely apical meristems and intercalary meristems
- If the specialized rapidly dividing cells are present in the shoot of the plant they are called shoot apical meristems and if they are present in the root tips they are called root apical meristems. If they are present between the mature tissues they are called intercalary meristems

So, the correct answer is ‘internodes’.

Note:
In grasses, the regenerative parts removed by the herbaceous animals are restored with the help of intercalary meristems.
Rapidly dividing cells present in the mature regions of the roots and shoots of a plant are called secondary meristems also called lateral meristems.