Exercise 4b

LATERAL
MERISTEM
CRUZ, ERFE, EUGENIO, MARTINEZ, AND VILLASECA
Objectives

To describe the To identify the To comprehend To appreciate the

general similarities and the relevance of role of Lateral
characteristics of differences the respective Meristems in the
cambial cells. between the cork features found in Plant
cambium and the stem and roots. Development.
vascular cambium.
I. Introduction
LATERAL MERISTEMS
Lateral meristems are secondary meristems because they are responsible for
secondary growth, or increase in stem girth and thickness. (Sampaolo, 2019)

It is found in all woody plants and in some herbaceous ones, consist of

the  vascular cambium  and the  cork cambium. They produce secondary tissues
from a ring of vascular cambium in stems and roots. Secondary phloem forms
along the outer edge of the cambium ring, and secondary xylem forms along the
inner edge of the cambium ring. The cork cambium produces a secondary
dermal tissue (periderm) that replaces the epidermis along older stems and
roots. (Sampaolo, 2019)
II. Cambial Initials
VASCULAR CAMBIAL INITIALS
II. Cambial Initials
CORK CAMBIAL INITIALS
III. Lateral Meristem
VASCULAR CAMBIUM
III. Lateral Meristem
CORK CAMBIUM
IV. Answers to Research
Question
1. What are pith rays? Are pith rays
similar with vascular rays? Explain.
Pith ray or medullary ray are the vertical plates of parenchyma
cells that runs through the radius of the cylinder of vascular
tissue in the stems and roots of plants. Pith rays are commonly
found in mature stems but there are pith rays that can be seen
in young plants and it is called the primary medullary ray that
pass from the cortex through the pit. In the mature plants, pith
rays are called secondary medullary ray which terminate in
xylem and phloem tissues and produced by the vascular
cambium. Pit ray functions for storage and transport of
photosynthates. (Allaby,2019)
Pith rays and Vascular rays are similar, they both have one cell
layer wide which consist primarily of parenchyma cells and
they both function for the transport photosynthates in lateral
direction and for storage. The rays both lie parallel to the
radius of the plant.
2. What is primary thickening meristem?
Give examples of plant species where this
occur.
Primary thickening meristem is defined as a diffuse primary
meristem in which the cross-sectional extent decreases
(thinner walled-cylinder) in a basipetal direction. It is
composed of the cell initials that divide predominantly in
periclinal planes and it is linked with extensive anticlinal cell
files. Primary thickening meristem occurs typically in
monocotyledons, especially those with thick, compact stems
in species with rosette shoot axes and an example of this are
the arborescent plants in the Arecaceae, Pan- danaceae,
Musaceae and Agavaceae to small, bulbous or rhizomatous
plants in the Liliaceae. There are also non-monocotyledons
where extensive primary stem thickening has been observed
and these are the ferns, lycopods, cycads, and dicotyledons.
(DeMason,1983)
1. Does the form of initials affect the form
of derivatives?
Yes, the initials affect the form of derivatives. According to
Bailey (1920), In many plants the dimensions and volume of
tracheary cells are determined primarily by those of the
cambial initials, whereas in others they are due largely to
changes which occur during the differentiation of the xylem.
An example of this is the radial file formation of the young
xylem and phloem cells that is cause by the tangentially
dividing cambial initials where they originated from.
Summary

To describe the To identify the To comprehend To appreciate the

general similarities and the relevance of role of Lateral
characteristics of differences the respective Meristems in the
cambial cells. between the cork features found in Plant
cambium and the stem and roots. Development.
vascular cambium.