Accelerated pace of growth is observed in plants during __________.

The growth of a plant organ is generally divided into three phases: cell division (meristematic), cell elongation, and cell maturation.

During the cell division phase, the rate of growth is relatively slow, representing the lag phase of the growth curve.

During the cell elongation phase, cells undergo rapid enlargement, increased vacuolation, and new cell wall deposition. This corresponds to the log or exponential phase of the sigmoid growth curve, where an accelerated pace of growth is observed.

During the cell maturation phase, the growth rate slows down as cells attain their maximal size and undergo differentiation, representing the stationary phase.

Answer: cell elongation