cambium

cam·bi·um  (kmb-m)

n. pl. cam·bi·ums or cam·bi·a (-b-)

A lateral meristem in vascular plants, including the vascular cambium and cork cambium, that forms parallel rows of cells resulting in secondary tissues.

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[Medieval Latin, exchange, from Late Latin cambre, cambire, to exchange, of Celtic origin.]

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cambi·al adj.

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cambium  (kmb-m)

Plural cambiums or cambia

A cylindrical layer of tissue in the stems and roots of many seed-bearing plants, consisting of cells that divide rapidly to form new layers of tissue. Cambium is a kind of meristem and is most active in woody plants, where it lies between the bark and wood of the stem. It is usually missing from monocotyledons, such as the grasses. The vascular cambium forms tissues that carry water and nutrients throughout the plant. On its outer surface, the vascular cambium forms new layers of phloem, and on its inner surface, new layers of xylem. The growth of these new tissues causes the diameter of the stem to increase. The cork cambium creates cells that eventually become bark on the outside and cells that add to the cortex on the inside. In woody plants, the cork cambium is part of the periderm. See also secondary growth.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	cambium - a formative one-cell layer of tissue between xylem and phloem in most vascular plants that is responsible for secondary growth vascular tissue - tissue that conducts water and nutrients through the plant body in higher plants
	2.	cambium - the inner layer of the periosteum periosteum - a dense fibrous membrane covering the surface of bones (except at their extremities) and serving as an attachment for tendons and muscles; contains nerves and blood vessels that nourish the enclosed bone stratum - one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism or a layer of sedimentary rock)