Cells in a meristem differ from cells in other types of plant tissue differ in that they continue to divide. They are embryonic tissue that never differentiated or matured, and they give the plant the ability to grow. They are true stem cells in that they continue to divide via mitosis, and a portion of them remain undeveloped throughout the life of the plant. They are totipotent by logic, which means that any adult plant cell can be derived from them. It is this quality that allows a plant to grow new leaves if some are torn off and that scientists strive to unravel.