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Plants have specialised organs that enable them to thrive and procreate in a wide variety of settings. The roots stems, and leaves are the primary organs of the majority of plants. The root is the portion of a vascular plant that grows underground. Its main purposes include anchoring the plant, absorbing water and dissolved minerals and transferring them to the stem, as well as storing reserve food.
- The root system is responsible for anchoring the plant in the soil, absorbing water and nutrients, and storing reserves of carbohydrates.
- The root system consists of various types of roots, including primary roots that originate from the seed and secondary roots that branch out from the primary roots.
- The root system is crucial for a plant's growth, development, and overall health.
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Key Terms: Root, stem, lateral root, nutrients, radicle, vascular, fibrous, adventitious, meristematic.
Roots
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Roots are essential plant structures that anchor the plant in the soil and perform vital functions such as water and nutrient absorption. All vascular plants have significant root systems. The majority of vascular plants have two different kinds of roots: primary roots that extend downward, and secondary roots that spread out to the sides.
- A root system is the collective unit of a plant's roots.
- Some plants have roots that grow above the ground rather than below the ground.
- Similar to underground roots, these aerial roots support the plant by holding it to nearby walls, rocks, trellises, and other structures.
Read More: Difference Between Dicot and Monocot Root
Characteristics of Roots
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The characteristics of roots are as follows -
- Not green due to lack of chlorophyll
- Not divided into nodes and internodal part
- Absence of leaves and buds
- Positively geotropic (grows in the direction of gravity)
- Positively hydrotropic (grows to water)
- Negative phototropic (grows away from light)
Root system
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Plants have two different types of root systems: tap root systems and fibrous root systems.
Tap root system
It is the root system that grows out of the radicle and continues as the main root (tap root), which releases lateral roots.
- Due to their ability to delve very deeply into the soil, these offer very powerful anchorage.
- It is the primary root system of dicots, including gram, chinarose, and neem.
Fibrous root system
The fibrous root system is the primary root system of monocots, such as maize, grasses, and wheat.
- It is composed of a cluster of thin, fibre-like roots that grow from the base of the radicle and plumule.
- These roots do not branch profusely, are shallow, and spread horizontally, so they are unable to provide strong anchorage.
Adventitious root
An adventitious root is defined as a root that develops from a plant's non-root organs, such as stem tissue, leaves, and other underground structures like corms, rhizomes, and tubers. Some plants create these adventitious roots as a natural and essential structure, and other times, adventitious roots form in reaction to environmental stresses the plant may be going through.
Also Read: Types of Plant Cell
Functions of the Roots
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The fundamental and major function of roots is to offer secure anchoring to the plants.
- Roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
- Roots also get transformed in particular plants to serve specialized purposes such as storage of food, mechanical support etc.
Regions of the Root
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A typical root is divided into the following four primary regions:
- Root cap
A thimble-shaped structure known as the root cap protects the root's apex. It has parenchymatous, many cells. As the root travels into the dirt, it shields the vulnerable tip.
- Region of meristematic activity
A few millimetres above the root cap is this layer. It is made up of meristematic cells with thin walls, dense protoplasm, and a large nucleus. To create new cells, these cells divide extremely quickly.
- Region of elongation
The cells close to the meristematic area quickly grow and extend.
- Region of maturation
It is close to the area of elongation. Here, the elongated cells eventually differentiate and reach adulthood. The root hairs are small, fragile, and thread-like structures made of some of the epidermal cells in this area. The surface area at which water and minerals are absorbed from the soil is increased by the hairs on the roots.
Also Read:
Things to Remember
- The root system is the underground part of a plant that anchors it to the ground and absorbs water, minerals, and nutrients from the soil.
- There are two different types of root systems: the tap root system (found in dicots) and the fibrous root system (found in monocots).
- Adventitious roots, unlike tap roots, can grow from any portion of the plant other than the radicle.
- Root cap region, region of meristematic cells, region of elongation, and region of maturation are the four regions that make up the apical portion of roots.
- Anchorage, water absorption, and mineral absorption are the primary functions of the root.
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Sample Questions
Ques. What are the different types of roots? (5 marks)
Ans. The different types of roots are as follows:
- A taproot is a thick, central root that grows vertically downward from the plant's stem. It serves as the primary root and gives rise to lateral roots.
- Fibrous roots are thin and highly branched. They arise from the base of the stem and spread in various directions.
- Adventitious roots develop from plant parts other than the primary root, such as stems or leaves.
- Aerial roots are roots that grow above the ground. They provide additional support to the plant and may also aid in obtaining moisture from the air.
- Storage roots are modified roots that store nutrients and water to sustain the plant during periods of dormancy or scarcity.
Ques. What are the functions of the roots? (3 marks)
Ans. Roots of plants have the following functions -
- The soil's nutrients and water are absorbed through roots.
- They support the storage of nutrients and food.
- Water and minerals are delivered to the plant by the roots.
Ques. Give some examples of tap roots. (1 mark)
Ans. Beetroot, Burdock, Carrot, Sugar beet, Dandelion, Parsley.
Ques. Give some examples of adventitious roots. (1 mark)
Ans. Grass, Monstera, and Banyan trees.
Ques. What are monocot and dicot roots? (2 marks)
Ans. Monocot root: A fibrous root is a monocot root. Typically, roots have root hairs that help them absorb water and nutrients from the soil. The epidermis is moreover the root's outermost layer.
Dicot root: Taproots are the dicot roots. In the centre of the root, close to the vascular cambium, is where the vascular bundle of the dicot root is located. In a plant root, the xylem and phloem are the two main forms of vascular tissue.
Ques. Define primary and secondary root. (2 marks)
Ans. Primary root: The main root, which begins during embryogenesis and develops soon after germination and is the fundamental part of root systems. It is crucial to the early growth and survival of seedlings.
Secondary root: The primary root produces secondary roots, which is also known as lateral roots.
Ques. What is adventitious root? (2 marks)
Ans. Unlike other types of roots, adventitious roots grow from sources other than the radicle. Plants with this particular type of root system will also have primary roots. Angiosperms are known for having an adventitious root system, which is changed for a number of functions including respiration, support, and food storage.
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