Question

Lateral meristem is responsible for _________
(a) Growth in parenchyma
(b) Growth in thickness
(c) Growth in cortex
(d) Growth in length

Answer 1

Hint: Plants have different tissues that help in the growth and development and fulfill different needs. Meristems are the tissues that play a vital role in the growth of plants horizontally and vertically.

Complete answer:
The meristem is a type of tissue found in plants. It consists of undifferentiated cells capable of cell division. Lateral meristems are the type of meristems  known as the cambium and cork cambium are arranged parallel to the sides of an organ and It divides only periclinally or radially and is responsible for increase in girth or diameter and hence cause secondary growth.
There are two more types of meristems present that are responsible for the primary growth of a tree.These are:
Apical (at the tips) - The apical meristem is the growth region in plants found within the root tips and the tips of the new shoots and leaves. The apical meristem is responsible for vertical growth.
Intercalary (in the middle) - Intercalary meristem is a type of meristematic tissue associated with the growth in length in the middle position, The growth at this point is referred to as intercalary growth. It divides mitotically in the stem at the base of nodes and leaf blades.
Lateral meristems are further divided into two types:
- Vascular cambium, which provides rise to secondary xylem and secondary phloem. This is often a process which will continue throughout the lifetime of the plant. This is often what gives rise to wood in plants. Such plants are called arboraceous. This doesn't occur in plants that don't undergo secondary growth (known as herbaceous plants) .
- Cork cambium, which provides rise to the periderm, which replaces the epidermis.
So, the correct answer is ‘Growth in thickness’.

Note: Secondary, or lateral, meristems, which are found altogether in woody plants and in some herbaceous ones, contains the vascular cambium and therefore the cork cambium. They produce secondary tissues from a hoop of vascular cambium in stems and roots.