Medicneet Logo

What is Meristematic Tissue? Features of Dividing Cells

Biology · Anatomy of Flowering Plants · NEET

Meristematic tissue is a group of young plant cells that keep dividing all through the plant's life. These cells are small, have thin walls, dense cytoplasm (protoplasm), a large nucleus, and no vacuole. Memory hook: "Meristem = Mother cells" — like a factory that never stops making new cells, so plants can grow their whole life.
Meristematic Cell vs Permanent CellNucleusMeristematicthin wall, densecytoplasm, no vacuoledivides+ maturesLarge vacuolePermanentbigger, fixed job,cannot divideNo gapsbetweencells
A meristematic cell is small with a thin wall, dense cytoplasm, a large nucleus and no vacuole. After it divides and matures, it becomes a permanent cell that is larger, has a big vacuole, and can no longer divide.

Your doubts, answered

What is meristematic tissue in simple words?

It is a tissue made of young cells that can divide again and again. Because these cells never lose the power to divide, the plant can keep growing in length and in width. Growth in plants happens only at these small regions, not all over the body.

What are the main features of meristematic cells?

They are small and roughly equal in size (isodiametric), have thin walls made of cellulose, and are packed close with no gaps between them. Inside, they have dense cytoplasm (protoplasm), a large central nucleus, and very few or no vacuoles. NEET often tests these four features together.

Why do meristematic cells have no (or very small) vacuoles?

A large vacuole would fill the cell with water and stop it from dividing quickly. Meristematic cells keep their cytoplasm dense so they are always ready to divide. When these cells later stop dividing and become permanent tissue, big vacuoles then appear.

Are meristematic cells living or dead?

They are always living. Dead cells cannot divide. This is why sclerenchyma (dead cells) is NOT meristematic. In NEET, remember: any cell that is dividing must be living.

What is the difference between meristematic tissue and permanent tissue?

Meristematic tissue keeps dividing; permanent tissue has lost the power to divide. Meristematic cells are small with thin walls, dense cytoplasm and no vacuole. Permanent cells are larger, may have thick walls and big vacuoles, and do a fixed job. Permanent tissue is formed FROM meristematic tissue.

What does meristematic tissue give rise to?

By dividing, meristematic cells produce new cells. Some new cells stay meristematic; the rest grow, change shape, and turn into permanent tissue (parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma, xylem, phloem). This change is called differentiation.

⚠️ The NEET trap
✗ Marking a permanent or complex tissue (like vascular tissue) as the one with 'active cell division capacity'.
✓ Only MERISTEMATIC tissue has active cell division capacity. Vascular tissue is complex (many cell types), simple tissue has one cell type, and sclereids are dead thick-walled cells.
🧠 'Active division' is the fingerprint of meristem alone. In NEET 2021's match-the-column, 'cells with active cell division capacity' pairs with meristematic tissue — never with vascular, simple, or dead cells.

Real NEET questions

2021

Match List-I with List-II. List-I: (a) Cells with active cell division capacity (b) Tissue having all cells similar in structure and function (c) Tissue having different type of cells (d) Dead cells with highly thickened walls and narrow lumen. List-II: (i) Vascular Tissues (ii) Meristematic tissues (iii) Sclereids (iv) Simple Tissue

A · (a)-(i); (b)-(ii); (c)-(iii); (d)-(iv)
B · (a)-(iii); (b)-(ii); (c)-(iv); (d)-(i)
C · (a)-(ii); (b)-(iv); (c)-(i); (d)-(iii) ✓
D · (a)-(iv); (b)-(iii); (c)-(ii); (d)-(i)
Solution: (a) Meristematic tissue has the power of active cell division. (b) A simple tissue has only one type of cell, so all cells look and act the same. (c) Vascular (complex) tissue like xylem and phloem has more than one cell type. (d) Sclereids are dead sclerenchyma cells with thick lignified walls and a narrow lumen. So the match is (a)-(ii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(iii).

Solved Anatomy of Flowering Plants NEET PYQs

Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.

See all 24 Anatomy of Flowering Plants NEET PYQs ›
Next concept: Apical, Intercalary and Lateral Meristems Explained →Keep learning — 2 minFeeling ready? Solve the Anatomy of Flowering Plants NEET PYQs ›Or practice on your phone — get the free MedicNEET app ›

Frequently asked

Where is meristematic tissue found in a plant?

At the tips of roots and shoots (apical meristem), at the base of leaves and internodes in grasses (intercalary meristem), and along the sides of roots and stems (lateral meristem). These are the only places where cell division for growth happens.

Is meristematic tissue the same as apical meristem?

No. Apical meristem is just one TYPE of meristematic tissue, found at root and shoot tips. Meristematic tissue is the general term that also includes intercalary and lateral meristems.

Do meristematic cells have intercellular spaces?

No. Meristematic cells are packed tightly together with no gaps (no intercellular spaces). This is one of their key NEET features, unlike parenchyma which often has spaces.

Why is meristematic tissue important for NEET?

It is the starting point of the whole 'Anatomy of Flowering Plants' chapter. Understanding it makes apical/intercalary/lateral meristems, secondary growth, and permanent tissues easy. NEET asks direct 'features' and 'match the column' questions from it almost every year.

Related concepts:
What is Plant Anatomy? Meaning and Levels of OrganisationApical, Intercalary and Lateral Meristems ExplainedDifference Between Meristematic and Permanent TissueWhat is Simple Permanent Tissue? Parenchyma, Collenchyma, SclerenchymaLateral Meristem: Vascular Cambium and Cork Cambium
Practise Biology for NEET:
Biology MCQs (free, chapter-wise)Anatomy of Flowering Plants PYQs