AP Biology questions on Apical, Lateral, and Intercalary Meristems

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🌱 Apical Meristems: Located at the tips of roots and shoots; responsible for primary growth (increase in length).
• 🌳 Lateral Meristems: Found in woody plants; responsible for secondary growth (increase in girth). Includes vascular cambium (produces secondary xylem and phloem) and cork cambium (produces the periderm).
• 🌿 Intercalary Meristems: Located at the base of leaves and nodes of grasses and other monocots; responsible for regrowth after grazing or mowing.
• 📏 Primary Growth: Growth in length, originating from apical meristems. Results in formation of primary tissues (epidermis, primary xylem, primary phloem, and pith).
• 🌲 Secondary Growth: Growth in thickness, originating from lateral meristems. Results in the formation of secondary xylem (wood), secondary phloem, and periderm (bark).
• 🔁 Meristem Cells: Undifferentiated cells capable of continuous cell division and differentiation into specialized plant tissues.

🧪 Practice Quiz

1. Which type of meristem is responsible for the increase in the length of a plant's stem?
   1. Apical meristem
   2. Lateral meristem
   3. Intercalary meristem
   4. Vascular cambium
2. Secondary growth in plants is primarily due to the activity of which meristem?
   1. Apical meristem
   2. Lateral meristem
   3. Intercalary meristem
   4. Ground meristem
3. In grasses, regrowth after grazing is mainly facilitated by:
   1. Apical meristems
   2. Lateral meristems
   3. Intercalary meristems
   4. Vascular cambium
4. The vascular cambium is a type of:
   1. Apical meristem
   2. Lateral meristem
   3. Intercalary meristem
   4. Ground meristem
5. Which of the following is NOT a product of apical meristem activity?
   1. Primary xylem
   2. Primary phloem
   3. Epidermis
   4. Secondary xylem
6. The cork cambium gives rise to:
   1. Vascular tissue
   2. Ground tissue
   3. Periderm
   4. Pith
7. Where would you primarily find intercalary meristems?
   1. At the tips of roots
   2. At the nodes of stems
   3. In woody trunks
   4. In the cambium