Question

Name the tissue whose cells divide throughout life.

Answer 1

Such tissue is found in plants and consists of undifferentiated cells that are totipotent which means the cells are capable of division throughout life and provide new cells for expansion and growth of the plants.

Complete answer:

Meristem or meristematic tissue is a type of tissue found in the plants throughout their life and are present in different parts of the plants such as at the tips, in the middle parts, and also at the sides. The tissue consists of undifferentiated cells that are totipotent and hence are capable of continued cell division for the entire life of plants. Due to continuous cell division in the cells of meristematic tissues, new cells are produced and these new cells help in elongation and expansion of the plant body. They also form new organs and provide the basic structure to the plant body. The tissue consists of very small cells and in these cells, the vacuoles are either too small or absent. The cells are filled by the protoplasm. The intercellular spaces are also absent in between the cells because the cells are tightly packed. Their cell walls are mainly primary and structurally very thin. These cells have plastids but are in undifferentiated or rudimentary form and are known as proplastids.

Fig.- Different types of meristems in plants

Note: For the continuous division of the cells in a tissue, the cells need to be somewhat different in the structure and function from the normal cells. Cells of the meristematic tissue are specialized as they have an only primary cell wall which is thin enough and doesn’t interfere in the cytokinesis, no vacuoles and the cell is almost filled by the protoplasm that provides enough material for the cells after their division.