Which statement best describes the terminal bud?

Which statement best describes the terminal bud?

• A. It is located at the tip of the stem and contains meristematic tissue
• B. It is located at the base of the stem and stores starch
• C. It is on the underside of leaves and conducts photosynthesis
• D. It is in the root and absorbs water

Answer: (A)

The terminal bud is where stem growth happens, because it houses the shoot apical meristem—a cluster of actively dividing cells at the tip of the stem. This meristem drives primary growth, producing new stem tissue and leaf primordia to extend the plant upward and start new leaves. That’s why it’s located at the very tip of the stem. The other descriptions refer to different plant parts or functions: storage at the base describes starch storage rather than growth at the tip, the underside of leaves relates to photosynthesis and gas exchange rather than the bud, and a root location describes water absorption.

The terminal bud is where stem growth happens, because it houses the shoot apical meristem—a cluster of actively dividing cells at the tip of the stem. This meristem drives primary growth, producing new stem tissue and leaf primordia to extend the plant upward and start new leaves. That’s why it’s located at the very tip of the stem. The other descriptions refer to different plant parts or functions: storage at the base describes starch storage rather than growth at the tip, the underside of leaves relates to photosynthesis and gas exchange rather than the bud, and a root location describes water absorption.