Difference between Meristematic and Permanent Tissue

Tissues are basically groups of cells specialized for performing specific functions. Plant tissues are categorized into two main classes based upon their ability to divide and differentiating:

1. Meristematic tissue

2. Permanent tissue

Meristematic tissue is a group of cells responsible for actively contributing to the primary and secondary growth of the plant. Permanent tissues are a non-dividing group of cells that are specialized for a particular function. This article will focus on the differentiating features of meristematic and permanent tissue.

Meristematic Tissue

Meristematic tissue is a group of cells having the ability to divide and thereby actively contribute to the primary and secondary types of growth of the plant. These tissues are found in specialized regions called Meristems.

Based upon the location, meristems are classified into three types:

1. Apical meristem

2. Lateral meristem

3. Intercalary meristem

Apical Meristem: These actively dividing meristematic tissues are present at the apices of roots and stem and contribute actively to the linear growth of the plant.

Lateral Meristem: It is responsible for contributing to the secondary growth of the plant and thus, increases the girth of the stem.

Intercalary Meristem: This is a special type of meristematic tissue which is found only in the leaf blades of monocot plants. It helps in the growth of the leaf blade.

Permanent Tissue

Permanent tissue is a group of cells lacking the ability of active division and hence, do not contribute to the growth of the plant. Instead, these perform specialized functions essential to the normal physiological growth of the plant.

Various types of permanent tissue based upon their functions are as below:

1. Dermal Tissue: It acts as an outer surface covering and regulates gaseous exchange through non-leafy parts of the plant.

2. Vascular Tissue: It includes Xylem and Phloem responsible for conduction of water and food across the plant, respectively.

Meristematic and Permanent Tissue: Differences

1. Active division ability

Meristematic tissue has the capability to actively divide and contribute to the growth of the plant, whereas the permanent tissues do not show active division and don’t contribute to the growth of the plant.

2. Types of cells

Meristematic tissues are composed of stem cells that are undifferentiated, whereas permanent tissues consist of fully differentiated, non-dividing cells.

3. Cellular organisation

Based on the type of cells present in the tissue, they can be classified as simple and complex tissue. Meristematic tissues contain only one type of undifferentiated cells and hence, include only simple tissue. But some permanent tissues contain more than one type of differentiated cells, and hence, include complex as well as simple tissue.

4. Presence of a prominent nucleus

Meristematic tissues are characterized by the presence of a prominent nucleus in their cytoplasm, whereas permanent tissues might lack a prominent nucleus.

5. The shape of cells

Cells of meristematic tissue are isodiametric, whereas that of permanent tissue are pleomorphic.

6. Cellular arrangement

In meristematic tissue, cells are arranged compactly, leaving no intercellular spaces, whereas, in permanent tissues, cells could be arranged loosely in some and compactly in others.

7. Presence of vacuoles

Meristematic tissues usually do not have a vacuole in their cellular cytoplasm, whereas all the living cells of permanent tissue contain a cytoplasmic vacuole.

Note: dead cellular components of permanent tissues lack protoplasm.

Conclusion

Meristematic tissue is a group of cells responsible for actively contributing to the primary and secondary growth of the plant. Permanent tissues are non-dividing groups of cells that are specialized for a particular function.

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