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Regions of roots are the various parts of the roots that perform various tasks and help the plant in absorption. Roots are the part of the plant that absorbs nutrients and water. The primary functions of roots are absorption, conduction, storage, and anchoring. The Root System is often considered to be the downwards portion of a plant's axis. The Radicle is the first thing that germinates out of the seed. The radicle further matures to become the Taproot and gives off Secondary and Tertiary roots thus forming the Root System.
Key Terms- Plants, Roots, Seeds, Root Cap, Taproot, Cell divisions
Roots
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A Root refers to the vascular part of any plant which is located at the lowest level and is responsible for connecting the plant with the soil.
- It absorbs water, minerals, nutrients, etc. and further feeds the plant for its development.
- Roots are also responsible for acting as the storage for food and nutrients of the plant.
- The roots are different from the stem only because of the absence of leaf scars and buds.
- Roots are homogeneous in nature because they generate identical organs from the pericycle, such as secondary and tertiary roots.
- They are favourably geotropic, positively hydrotropic, and negatively phototropic.
- They are also unable to produce their own food.
Roots
Also Read: Types of Plant Cell
Characteristics of Roots
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The important characteristics of Roots have been listed below for your reference:
- Roots are homogeneous in nature due to their ability to work towards producing similar organs like secondary or tertiary roots from the pericycle.
- Roots can be considered as positively Geotropic and Hydrotropic but negatively Phototropic.
- Roots are usually not green and cannot synthesize food.
- Roots are not responsible for the production of organs such as leaves, buds, etc.
- Roots can never be differentiated into nodes and internodes.
Also Read:
Functions of Roots
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The various functions performed by the roots of a plants are listed below:
- The roots are responsible for providing a systematic connection to the different parts of the plant.
- It is responsible for storage of the reserved food material and the synthesis for the growth of the plant.
- The main function of the roots is to absorb water and necessary nutrients from the soil. These nutrients help in the growth and development of the plant.
- It also transfers the absorbed water and nutrients to the stem and other parts of the plant via xylem.
Also Read- Morphology of the Flowering Plant
Regions of the Roots
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The regions of the roots are distinguished as follows:
- Root Cap Region
- Cell Division Region or Meristematic Region
- Elongation Region
- Maturation Region
Regions of Roots
Also Read: Transportation in Plants
Root Cap Region
Root Cap refers to a cup-shaped cemented mass of parenchyma which covers and protects the root tips. When the coverings of these Parenchyma Cells get dissolved in the soil, the new cells automatically get formed and added to the meristem of the cap. The cells of the Root Cap secrete a substance called Mucilage that helps in lubricating the passage of the roots via soil. It also helps the roots to absorb water and various nutrients for the growth of the plant.
Root Tip
Also Read: Insectivorous Plants
Cell Division Region
Cell Division Region is also known as the region of Meristematic Cells. This region of roots has an apical meristem that works towards the production of cells that help in the development of the plant body. The meristem usually consists of three parts:
- Protoderm - This gives birth to the Epidermis
- Procambium - This gives birth to the Xylem and Phloem tissues
- Ground-Meristem - This gives birth to the Cortex
Cell Division Region
There is a grey region between the active cell division region and the root cap region where the cells divide more slowly. It is known as the Quiescent Centre. The majority of cell divisions in a plant's root system occur around the margins of this centre and give birth to columns of cells that are organized parallel to the root axis.
Also Read: Excretion in Plants
Elongation Region
Cells in this stage of elongation stretch and lengthen as tiny vacuoles within the cells' cytoplasm coalesce and fill themselves with water. In completely elongated cells, one or two giant vacuoles fill nearly all of the cell volume. The apical tip and root cap of the root cap migrate forward through the soil in this region. This occurs due to cellular expansion.
Region of Elongation
Maturation Region
In this region, the cells of the region of elongation finish their differentiation into basic body tissues. It can be easily identified by the appearance of many root hairs that extend through the soil as outgrowths of a single epidermal cell.
The root hairs increase the absorptive surface of roots during the growth period of the plant. The lifetime of an individual root hair is only a day or two.
Maturation Region
Also Read:
| Related Articles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Plant Cell | Parts of a Seed | Plant Tissue |
| Plant Breeding | Plant Physiology | Excretion in Plants |
| Stomata | Why are Plants Green | Pistil |
Things To Remember
- Roots are the underground structures in most vascular plants that are attached to the plant and offer a mechanism for the plant body to absorb nutrients and water.
- New root tips emerge continually and offer the surfaces through which the majority of the nutrients and water flow.
- The Root System is often considered to be the downwards portion of a particular plant’s axis. Whenever the seed germinates, the Radicle is the first thing to develop out of it.
- The radicle matures to become the Taproot and gives Secondary and Tertiary Roots thus forming the Root System.
- Root System involves four regions i.e., Region of Root Cap, Cell Division Region, Elongation Region and Maturation Region.
- Roots are favourably geotropic, positively hydrotropic, and negatively phototropic.
- They can not produce their own food.
Also Read- Fertilization in Plants
Previous Year Questions
- Collenchyma occurs in the stem and petioles of … [NEET 1990]
- As compared to a dicot root, a monocot root has … (NEET 2012)
- Vascular bundles in monocotyledons are considered closed … (NEET 2015)
- Organs of aquatic plants are made of a...(KCET 2012)
- Passage cells help in…. (WBJEE 2015)
- Conjunctive tissue is present between … [KCET 2018]
- In the monocotyledonous seeds the endosperm is separated … [KEAM]
- Why are vascular bundles termed …
- In a woody dicotyledonous tree … [NEET 2005]
Solved Questions
Ques: In which region of the roots do newly developed root cells begin to produce different cell types? (1 Mark)
Ans: In the Maturation region the newly developed root cells begin to produce different cell types.
Ques:What are the two types of Root Systems? (1 Mark)
Ans: The two types of Root Systems include the Tap-Root System for the Dicots and Fibrous Root System for the Monocots.
Ques: Which type of Roots allow a plant to grow on another plant? (1 Mark)
Ans: Epiphytic Roots allow a plant to grow on another plant.
Ques: Give two examples of roots that develop from different parts of the angiospermic plant other than the radicle. (2 Marks)
Ans: Adventitious Roots: These are the roots that arise from different parts of plants other than radicals. For Example:
Pneumatophore- For respiration
Stilt root- For support
Prop roots- For support
Ques: What functions are associated with the roots of aquatic plants? How are the roots of aquatic plants and terrestrial plants different? (2 Marks)
Ans: The roots of the aquatic plants maintain the balance of the plant and help in the anchorage.
In aquatic plants, the roots help in balancing and anchorage whereas in terrestrial plants, the functions of roots are anchorage and absorption of water and minerals.
Ques: Differentiate a fibrous root system with a tap root system. Name a plant that offers food in the human diet for each kind. Monocots have what kind of root system? Dicots have what kind of root system? (2 Marks)
Ans: A tap root system consists of a single main root that extends downward. A fibrous root system develops a thick network of roots at the soil's surface.
A carrot is an example of a tap root system. Fibrous root systems are found in plants such as wheat, rice, and maize.
Monocots have fibrous root systems, while dicots have tap root systems.
Ques: What are the functions of the root system? (2 Marks)
Ans: The main functions of the root system are as follows:
(a) It absorbs water and minerals from the soil.
(b) It provides anchorage to the plants.
(c) It stores food material.
(d) It is responsible for the synthesis of plant growth regulators.
Ques: Roots obtain oxygen from air in the soil for respiration. In the absence of O2, root growth is completely stopped. How do the plants growing in marshlands or swamps obtain their O2 required for root respiration? (2 Marks)
Ans: In some plants that are grown in swampy areas in saline marshy soil, the roots are developed out of the ground and grow vertically upwards. These roots are called pneumatophores or breathing roots or respiratory roots. They help the plant to get oxygen for respiration. Examples of such plants are Rhizophora and Sonneratia.
Ques: Write a note on different types of root systems. (3 Marks)
Ans: 1. In some plants, roots arise from parts of the plant other than the radicle. Such roots are called adventitious roots. For example- grass, banyan trees etc.
The primary root is short-lived and is replaced by a large number of roots in monocotyledonous plants . The roots of the monocotyledonous plants originate from the base of the stem and constitute the fibrous root system. For example, wheat plants.
- In most of the dicotyledonous plants, the direct elongation of the radicle forms the primary roots which further grows inside the soil. The primary roots and their branches form the taproot system. For example- mustard plants.
Ques: Write a note on the regions of the root. (5 Marks)
Ans: The root of a plant is covered by a cap-like structure called the root cap. The root cap helps in protecting the tender apex of the root as it penetrates the soil.
- A few millimetres above the root cap is the meristematic region. The cells of this region are very small, thin-walled and have a dense protoplasm.
- The cells of this region undergo rapid elongation and enlargement. They are also responsible for the vertical growth of the root. This region of elongation and enlargement is called the region of elongation. The cells of the elongation region gradually differentiate and get mature.
- The region above the region of elongation is called the region of maturation. Some epidermal cells of this region form very fine and delicate, thread-like structures called root hairs. The root hairs absorb water and minerals from the soil.
Regions of the root
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