kerato- or kerat- also cerato- or cerat- pref. 1. Horn; horny: keratosis. 2. Cornea: keratectomy. [Greek kerÄto-, horn, from keras, kerÄt-; see ker- in Indo-European roots.] kerato- or before a vowel kerat- combining form 1. indicating horn or a horny substance: keratin; keratogenous. 2. (Medicine) indicating the cornea: keratoplasty. [from Greek kerat-, keras horn] kerato- a combining form meaning âcorneaâ: keratoplasty.
Early root growth is one of the functions of the apical meristem located near the tip of the root. The meristem cells more or less continuously divide, producing more meristem, root cap cells (these are sacrificed to protect the meristem), and undifferentiated root cells.
An adult plant basically consists of a stem and a root, each with many branches (Fig. 42.1). Both the stem and root are characterized by the presence of apical growth regions which are composed of meristematic cells. These cells are the primary source for all the cell types of a plant.