Contents
Summary 37
Introduction 37
How things began 38
Cytology 39
Morphology 41
Developmental genetics 44
Conclusions 49
Acknowledgements 50
References 50
Summary
In this review we describe how concepts of shoot apical meristem function have developed over time. The role of the scientist is emphasized, as proposer, receiver and evaluator of ideas about the shoot apical meristem. Models have become increasingly popular over the last 250 years, and we consider their role. They provide valuable grounding for the development of hypotheses, but in addition they have a strong human element and their uptake relies on various degrees of persuasion. The most influential models are probably those that most data support, consolidating them as an insight into reality; but they also work by altering how we see meristems, re‐directing us to influence the data we collect and the questions we consider meaningful.