A region containing actively or potentially actively dividing cells, including initials and their immediate undifferentiated derivatives. Some consider a meristem to consist only of initials but the difficulty in recognizing a boundary between initials and their immediate derivatives has led many to consider the term in the broader sense including undifferentiated nondividing cells. Some meristems, such as axillary buds, are inactive for much of the time, their cells being potentially capable of active division (see apical dominance). Meristems may be * apical , axillary, * lateral , * marginal , or * intercalary. |
