Question

All secondary meristems are lateral in position but all internal meristems are not secondary in origin.

Answer 1

All secondary meristems are lateral in position. The lateral meristems are present on the lateral side of the stem and root of a plant. These meristems help in increasing the thickness of the plants. The vascular cambium and the cork cambium are good examples of lateral meristematic tissue.

Other meristems present in plants are:

1. Apical Meristems – These meristems are located on the tip of the root, stem etc. They help in the growth of the root system as well as the shoot system. The various cell divisions along with the cellular enlargement help in the growth of the stem above the ground and the growth of the root below the ground.

2. Intercalary Meristems – The intercalary meristems are located at the internodes or the base of the leaves. The intercalary meristems help in increasing the length of the internode. This is usually seen in monocotyledonous plants.