BIOL 1123 Lecture Notes - Lecture 31: Meristem, Cell Potency, Cell Migration
13 Apr 2018
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Document Summary
Most plant growth occurs via cell division near the tips of the shoots and the bottoms of the roots in a well-defined radial pattern. Cell migration does not occur during plant development. An entirely new individual can be regenerated from many types of somatic cells. Somatic cells of plants are totipotent with the ability to produce an entire individual. A plants developmental program relies on the use of transcription factors that determine spatial, temporal and quantitative aspects of gene expression. Plants have organised groups of actively dividing stems called meristems. The root meristem gives rise only to the root, while the shoot meristem produces all aerial parts of the plant. The apical region produces the leaves and flowers of the plant. The central region gives rise to stem tissue. The organizing centre ensures proper organization of the meristem and preserves the correct number of actively dividing stem cells.
