Roots

• What is the primary function of roots in plants?

  Anchorage, absorption, conduction, and food storage
• What are the main functions of roots?

  • Anchorage: Stabilizes the plant in the soil.
  • Absorption: Takes up water and nutrients from the soil.
  • Conduction: Transports water and nutrients from roots to other plant parts.
  • Food storage: Stores nutrients and energy for the plant.
• What is a characteristic shape of roots?

  Cylindrical in form
• What do roots lack that differentiates them from other plant parts?

  Roots lack nodes, internodes, buds, leaves, and flowers
• What is the typical location of the root system compared to the shoot system?

  The root system is typically below ground, while the shoot system is typically above ground
• What is the primary root that emerges from a seed called?

  Radicle
• What are the characteristics of diffuse or fibrous roots?

  • Generally thin and hair-like with numerous smaller root branches.
  • Better able to hold soil, providing better stability.
  • Cannot tolerate drought.
  • Found in monocot plants.
• What type of root system is characterized by a primary root with minimal branching?

  Taproot or Primary Root
• What are the characteristics of adventitious roots?

  • Roots arise above ground, from the leaf or stem.
  • Perform the same functions as regular roots.
• What are the characteristics of prop/stilt roots?

  • Adventitious roots that arise above ground from leaf or stem.
  • Same functions as regular roots (anchorage and absorption).
  • Common in monocots.
• What are fleshy roots and their characteristics?

  • Taproot system.
  • Heavy, thick root with an enlarged main root.
  • Minimal branching.
  • Often used for human or animal consumption.
• What are fascicled roots and their characteristics?

  • Fibrous root system.
  • Roots with swollen, bulb-like parts used for food storage.
• What are aerial roots and their characteristics?

  • Grow above ground and act as anchors.
  • Absorb moisture and nutrients from the air.
• What are buttress roots and their characteristics?

  • Large, wide roots surrounding a shallowly rooted tree.
  • Swollen bases help keep the tree upright.
  • Aid in distributing the shallow roots over a wide area.
  • Common in tropical rainforest trees.
• What are pneumatophores and their characteristics?

  • Aerial breathing roots that grow out from the water's surface.
  • Facilitate aeration for root respiration.
  • Common in waterlogged environments, like mangroves.
• What are contractile roots and their characteristics?

  • Adventitious roots developed from the base of a bulb or corm.
  • Contract to pull the plant deeper into the soil to the desirable depth.
  • Common on bulbs or corms.
• What are photosynthetic roots and their characteristics?

  • Assimilatory, green roots that perform photosynthesis.
  • Absorb moisture from the atmosphere.
• What are parasitic roots and their characteristics?

  • Adventitious roots of parasitic plants.
  • Penetrate into the host plant's conducting tissues to extract nutrients.
• What are roots producing suckers and their characteristics?


  • Root suckers or sprouts that arise as a natural response to wounding or stress.
• What are mycorrhizal roots and their characteristics?

  • Roots that form a symbiotic association with soil fungi.
  • Help plants absorb essential minerals from the soil.
• What is the function of the root cap?

  • Protects the root apical meristem where cells divide.
  • Secretes mucilage to ease movement through soil.
• Where is the quiescent center located in the root?

  Behind the root cap
• What is the function of the quiescent center?

  Functions as a cellular reserve and organizes patterns of primary growth in the root
• What is the region of cell division in roots also called?

  Meristematic region
• What occurs in the region of cell elongation?

  Cells increase in length up to 10 times their original size
• What is the youngest part of the root where root hairs are evident?

  Root hair zone
• What are the three distinct layers of the cortex in roots?

  1. Hypodermis: Outermost layer, contains suberin for protection.
  2. Parenchyma Cells: Bulk of the cortex, stores reserves.
  3. Endodermis: Innermost layer, controls water and dissolved materials entering the xylem.
• What is the function of the Casparian strip in the endodermis?

  Prevents water and dissolved minerals from passing through the cell walls into the stele
• What is the structure and function of the stele in roots?

  • Central cylinder of vascular tissues.
  • Composed of pericycle, xylem, phloem, vascular cambium, and pith.
• What is the role of the pericycle in the stele?

  • Outermost layer of the stele.
  • Remains meristematic and gives rise to branch (lateral) roots.
• What is the main function of xylem in the stele?

  • Water conduction.
• What is the main function of phloem in the stele?

  • Transport of nutrients, especially sugars.
• What is the pith in the stele?

  • Central core made of parenchyma cells, present in some plants, especially monocots.
• What are the characteristics of monocot roots?

  • Do not undergo secondary growth.
  • No vascular cambium exists.
  • Cortex expands to accommodate root growth.
• What is the process of secondary growth in dicots?

  1. Initiation in pericycle cells opposite xylem arms.
  2. Vascular cambium divides to produce secondary xylem and phloem.
  3. Cork cambium (phellogen) produces cork cells and phelloderm.
  4. Forms periderm, a protective layer replacing the epidermis.