Girth of stem of a plant increases due to division of cells in

examrobotsa's picture

Submitted by examrobotsa on

Q: 61 (NDA-II/2021)
Girth of stem of a plant increases due to division of cells in

question_subject: 

Science

question_exam: 

NDA-II

stats: 

0,15,18,8,15,4,6

keywords: 

{'apical meristem': [0, 0, 0, 2], 'plant increases': [0, 0, 0, 1], 'lateral meristem': [0, 0, 0, 1], 'girth': [0, 0, 0, 2], 'stem': [1, 0, 0, 0], 'cells': [0, 0, 0, 1], 'intercalary meristem': [0, 0, 0, 2], 'division': [3, 0, 1, 6]}

The correct answer to this question is option 2: lateral meristem only.

The girth or thickness of a plant stem increases through the division of cells in the lateral meristem. Meristems are specialized regions of plant tissue where new cells are actively dividing. The two main types of meristems are apical meristems and lateral meristems.

Apical meristems are found at the tips of growing stems and roots, and they are responsible for the lengthening of the plant. They produce new cells that elongate the stem or root, allowing the plant to grow taller or longer.

On the other hand, lateral meristems are responsible for the increase in girth or thickness of the plant. They are located in the cambium, a layer of tissue found just below the bark in woody plants. The lateral meristem produces new cells that differentiate into secondary xylem (wood) and secondary phloem (inner bark), leading to the expansion of the stem`s diameter.

Therefore, the girth of a plant stem increases due to the division of cells in the lateral meristem only.