OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

What ability do plant stem cells have compared to animal stem cells?

1. They cannot divide

2. They can grow back entire organs

3. They stop dividing after maturity

4. They are all specialized cells

The correct answer is: They can grow back entire organs

Plant stem cells have the remarkable ability to grow back entire organs due to their unique characteristics. Unlike animal stem cells, which often have limited regenerative abilities and typically differentiate into specialized cells that do not divide further after reaching maturity, plant stem cells retain their potency throughout the plant’s life. This allows them to continuously divide and generate various types of cells needed for growth and repair. Plants can regenerate entire organs—such as roots, stems, and leaves—from these stem cells, enabling them to adapt to damage or loss and contribute to ongoing growth. This is a key feature in many plants, where stem cells are found in specific areas like the meristems, which are responsible for producing new tissues as the plant develops. The other options highlight attributes characteristic of animal stem cells, such as specialization upon reaching maturity and limitations in regeneration, which do not apply to the broader functional abilities of plant stem cells.