Meristem (mĕr′ĭ-stĕm) (in plants), young tissue whose cells are capable of division, which results in a multiplication of cells. The growing points of stems and roots consist of meristem or meristematic tissue, which produces all the tissues which appear in the mature stems and roots. The cambium (which see) in stems is a kind of meristem, which has the power of forming new wood on one side and new bast on the other. All growing organs are meristematic throughout or in some special part until they are fully grown. An appropriate phrase describing meristem is formative tissue.