Post-embryonic development in plants is mainly achieved by its meristems. Within the Arabidopsis root meristem, both the fate and origin of its cells can be predicted with high accuracy. Mutants defective in the determination of root cell fates show that the corresponding genes are first required during embryogenesis. The sub-specification of cell fates, such as during epidermal root hair formation, involves transcription factors and phytohormones. In the Arabidopsis root, initial cell fate specification events must be followed by position-dependent reinforcement of cellular identity. A major question remains as to whether the signals that are involved in initiating the cellular pattern are the same or different from the signals used to reinforce it. The integrity of the root meristem is kept by balancing cell proliferation and cell differentiation, and differentiation-inhibiting signals originating from the quiescent centre are involved.