-Aqsa, Subject Matter Expert at Edumarz.
Solution: Apical meristem is situated at the tips of the root and shoots or in the terminal parts of the plant. There are two major apical meristems namely root apical meristem and shoot apical meristem. The shoot apical meristem gives rise to organs like the leaves and flowers, and the root apical meristem gives rise to future roots. It causes an increase in height. Apical meristems contain cells that are capable of regeneration. They give rise to the primary body, which results in the extension of roots and shoot. As a result of which plants usually continue to grow during their life span. Apical meristems are responsible for primary growth or growth in length.
The cells in the apical meristem are small and spherical. They have dense cytoplasm and a small number of vacuoles. The apical meristem gives out some cells which undergo mitosis several times. These divided cells then differentiate into the specific root or shoot cells. The cells that emerge directly from the apical meristem are known as primary meristems.