Meristem

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of plant tissue characterized by cells that can divide and differentiate, facilitating continuous growth and the formation of new organs throughout the plant's life
2. This plant tissue consists of undifferentiated cells that are capable of ongoing division, contributing to growth and the development of new structures in the plant
3. A specific type of plant tissue made of undifferentiated cells that can continuously divide, allowing for sustained growth and the creation of new organs within the plant life cycle

Etymology: Carl Wilhelm von Nägeli, a Swiss botanist, coined "meristem" in 1858 while studying how stems and roots of vascular plants grow. He needed a name for the tissue that forms the whole young organ and often stays active for the plant's entire life, and he chose a Greek-based term. The Greek "meristos" means "divided," from "merizein," to divide, which itself comes from "meros," a part. The second element is less obvious. Nägeli's word is built on "meristos," but the Greek roots behind it also include "stemma," meaning a wreath or garland. The word thus joins the idea of dividing with the image of a garland, a combination that reflects the tissue's role as the source of new cells, which then differentiate into specialized structures.

Synonyms: plant tissue, growth tissue