Name the tissue responsible for growth in plants

Meristematic tissue is the primary tissue responsible for growth in plants. This specialized tissue consists of undifferentiated cells that retain their ability to divide continuously through mitosis, producing new cells that enable plants to increase in length and girth throughout their lifetime. Unlike animal cells, which generally lose their division capacity after maturation, meristematic cells remain perpetually young and metabolically active.

Meristematic tissues are strategically located in growth zones of the plant body—at root tips and shoot tips (apical meristems for primary growth), along the sides of stems and roots (lateral meristems for secondary growth), and at internodes and leaf bases (intercalary meristems). The cells in these regions are characterized by thin cell walls, dense cytoplasm, prominent nuclei, and absence of vacuoles, which facilitates rapid division. This tissue essentially functions as the plant's stem cell reservoir, generating all other tissue types as daughter cells differentiate into specialized permanent tissues. Understanding meristematic tissue is crucial for agricultural practices like pruning, grafting, and tissue culture propagation, where manipulating growth points directly influences plant development and crop yield.