How are apical meristems protected in shoots?

1 Answer
Krishan T.
Jul 14, 2015

Apical meristem in shoots is protected by young overlapping leaf primordia.

Explanation:

             Apical meristems in shoots  are not naked but  present in apical buds. 
            An  apical bud consists of  meistematic tissue covered over by young leaf primordia.  
            With the growth of the shoot, leaf primordia develop into young leaves.  
            The  cells in apical meristem continue dividing mitotically, produciing new cells.
            During differentiation the cells at the flanks get differentiated into leaf primordia and the other cells get differentiated into different  tissues of the shoot.
            Thus the apical meristem is always surrounded by young lead primordia which provide protection to it.
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