Apical
From Latin 'apex' meaning peak, tip, or summit
Relating to or situated at the apex or tip. In biology, apical refers to the growing point or tip of a structure—the apical meristem is where new growth occurs in plants.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 3 chapters:
"The trunk doesn't grow thicker through cell division at its base. The branches don't expand along their length. Growth happens exclusively at apical meristems (shoot tips) and root tips. That's it. This is why tree rings work. Each ring represents a year's growth added to the outside, not distrib..."
"Cut those tops off. Four more lateral buds activate. Keep cutting, and you get a bush instead of a vine. This is apical dominance - the phenomenon where the main shoot suppresses lateral branch growth. The terminal bud produces auxin (a plant hormone that regulates gro..."
"... No surviving tissue or seeds means no regeneration - succession starts from zero (primary succession, covered in Chapter 8). Hormonal Triggers: Apical Dominance and Regeneration When you cut a tree trunk, why do dormant buds activate? Why didn't they grow before? Apical dominance (covered in Chapt..."
Biological Context
The apical meristem at shoot and root tips is where cell division occurs, driving plant growth. Apical regions are metabolically active and often produce hormones that influence the rest of the organism. In animals, apical surfaces of cells face outward (toward a lumen or external environment).
Business Application
In organizations, 'apical' positions are leadership roles at the top of hierarchies. Apical growth strategies concentrate resources at specific leading edges rather than diffusing effort throughout the organization.