Question

How plants grow throughout their life?

Answer 1

Hint: Plant growth never ceases, the plant grows throughout its life with growth in branches and roots. The plant is static and autotrophic it can’t move from one place to another in search of food so by spreading its root it takes minerals and water and with the leaves photosynthesis takes place.

Complete answer:
The growth of a plant depends on the apical meristem, the meristematic tissue is a dividing tissue that helps in the growth of the plant and repairing of damaged tissue. The apical meristem is located on the apical part of the shoot and root. The growth of shoot and root are examples of primary growth, this growth takes place by cell division and cell growth. Meristem divides continuously and adds tissue by pushing older tissue outward. Apical meristem differentiates into protoderm, ground tissue, and procambium, where protoderm form epidermis, ground tissue form parenchyma, sclerenchyma, and collenchyma, and procambium leads to the formation of cambium. Primary growth enables plants to regularly uptake water and minerals with proper sunlight. The conduction of water and minerals takes place by xylem and phloem, xylem helps in water conduction from root to stem while phloem conducts organic material from leaves to other plant parts.
After primary growth secondary growth takes place in the plant which leads to an increase in girth by the formation of cambium and it also thickens the plant surface. This cambium gives protection to plants by forming dead tissue called bark. Cambium also helps in the conduction of water and mineral inside xylem and phloem.

Note: Some plants are heterotrophic like a saprotrophic and parasitic plant. These plants are generally insectivorous and epiphytic. The insectivorous plant grows in the nitrogen-deficient area, to fulfill nitrogen demand these plants trap insects. Epiphytic plants grow on tall plants and take nutrition from its host without affecting the host.