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Growth is defined as a vital process which brings about an irreversible and permanent change in the shape, size, form, weight and volume of a cell, organ or whole organism, accompanied with increase in dry matter.
Differentiation is a localised qualitative change in size, biochemistry, structure and function of cells, tissues or organs, e.g., fibre, vessel, tracheid, sieve tube, mesophyll, leaf etc. Thus it is a change in form and physiological activity. It results in specialisation for particular functions.
Development may be defined as a process which includes growth, differentiation and maturation in a regular sequence in the life history of a cell, organ or organism viz., seed germination, growth, differentiation, flowering, seed formation and senescence. Dedifferentiation is the process by which the differentiated cells which have lost the ability to divide under certain circumstances, become meristematic and regain the divisibility. Redifferentiation is defined as maturation or differentiation of dedifferentiated cells to form cells which are unable to divide e.g., secondary xylem elements, cork cells etc., are formed by redifferentiation of secondary cambial cells.
Determinate growth is the ability of a cell, tissue or the organism to grow for a limited period of time. Meristem is a tissue consisting of unspecialised immature cells, possessing the power of continuous cell division and adding new cells to the body. Growth rate is defined as the increased growth per unit time.