Meristeemisolut

Meristeemisolut, or meristematic cells, are undifferentiated plant cells with high mitotic activity that retain the capacity to differentiate into various specialized tissues. They reside in meristems, regions of active growth found at shoot and root tips, as well as in some stems and roots where secondary growth occurs. The primary meristems—apical meristems at the tips—drive primary growth and give rise to the protoderm (epidermis), ground meristem (cortex and pith), and procambium (vascular tissues). Lateral meristems, such as the vascular cambium and cork cambium, contribute to secondary growth by producing new vascular tissue and bark. Some monocot species possess intercalary meristems at leaf bases or nodes, allowing rapid regrowth after damage.

Meristematic cells are small, densely cytoplasmic, with large nuclei and relatively thin walls and small vacuoles. They divide frequently by mitosis, maintaining a population of initials that give rise to derivative cells which then differentiate according to positional cues and hormonal signals. Growth regulation involves plant hormones, particularly auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellins, and gene networks that control stem cell maintenance, such as WUSCHEL and CLAVATA pathways in shoot apical meristems.

In horticulture and plant biotechnology, meristeemisolut are fundamental to tissue culture and micropropagation, enabling rapid clonal propagation and regeneration from explants with high regenerative potential.