Ground Meristem Cells (Stem Filling Makers)

Young cells at the growing tip

At the tip of every growing shoot and root, there is a tiny zone of young cells called a meristem. Just behind the very tip, those young cells sort into three teams:

• Protoderm on the outside will become the plant's skin.
• Procambium strands will become the water and sugar pipes.
• Ground meristem fills everything else.

Ground meristem cells are small and boxy, with thin walls and a big nucleus. They divide again and again.

Building the filling

Ground meristem cells grow into the ground tissue of the plant. That includes:

• The cortex, a layer just under the skin.
• The pith, the soft center of many stems.

Most of these cells become simple living cells that store food or make food with sunlight. Some become stiff cells that help hold the plant up.

Ground meristem quiz