roots

• Roots are the underground part of vascular plants that anchor the plant and absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
• Roots also store food and help plants survive periods of too much or too little water and nutrients.
• Perennials are usually dicot trees that live for a long period of time.
• The primary function of roots is anchorage, which helps the plant to stand upright and have a better grasp to the soil.
• Absorption is another primary function of roots, which helps in the resource uptake of water and nutrients for the plant to carry out physiological functions.
• Storage is a secondary function of roots, as the root cap can also act as a storage or food reserve.
• Roots release hormones that could regulate the growth, development, and physiological processes of the plant, which is a secondary function.
• Exudates are fluids that improve the soil biota (microorganisms) and prevent the growth of some competitors, which is a secondary function of roots.
• Adventitious Roots are roots that grow outside the usual locations, which is a secondary function of roots.
• .Fibrous Roots have a dominant root found mainly in monocot plants.
• Taproots only have lateral roots, which is a primary root type.
• The Hartig Net is a network of hyphae that grow into a plant's root from the hyphal mantle at the root surface.
• Nitrogen Fixation is a chemical process that converts nitrogen (N2) from the atmosphere into ammonia (NH3) or other nitrogen compounds.
• Glomeromycota is an example of an Endomycorrhizal Fungi that penetrates the cortex of the plant roots.
• Basidiomycota and Ascomycota are examples of Endomycorrhizal Fungi, which penetrate the cortex of the plant roots.
• Plants like bean plants are known to nitrogen fixate.
• Primary Roots are the early roots in young plants that consist of taproots, basal roots, and lateral roots.
• Secondary Roots are the side branches of the primary roots.
• Tertiary Roots are branches of the secondary roots.
• Root Hairs are tiny, hair-like extensions of a plant's root that increase the root's surface area and are outgrowths of specialized cells at the tip of a plant root.
• Contractile Roots are responsible for movement of the underground shoot part of the plant, which are thickened roots that shrink vertically during seasonal droughts.
• The root cap is a mass of cells (parenchyma cells) located at the tip of the root that protects it from mechanical damage and secretes a slimy substance called mucilage to help the root grow more smoothly into the soil.
• The columella is a region of specialized cells at the center of the root cap where gravisensing takes place.
• The region of cell division is found just under the root cap, where cells are perpetually dividing (mitosis), causing the root to grow in length (primary growth).
• The Dermatogen is the outermost layer of the apical meristem where cells differentiate into epiblema and root cap.
• The Periblem is a layer of meristematic tissue in stems and roots that gives rise to the cortex where the cells mature in the cortex cells.
• The Plerome is the central core of the meristem, maturing into a stele.
• The Zone of Cell Elongation is where cells grow in size, lengthening the root as they grow, and the cells in this region are still undifferentiated; therefore they do not have a specific function yet.
• The Zone of Cell Maturation is where cells differentiate and become a specific type of cell, and it is here that cells get their final function assigned depending on where they are located in the root.
• The exodermis is a layer of cells in a plant's root that protects against water loss and regulates the flow of water, ions, and nutrients, it is the outer layer of a plant's cortex.
• Passage Cells are thin-walled cells in the endodermis of vascular plants.
• Xylem is a vascular tissue in plants that transports water and minerals from the roots to the leaves and provides structural support.
• Phloem is a vascular tissue that transports food made during photosynthesis to other parts of the plant.
• The Pericycle is made up of actively dividing cells and gives rise to the lateral root and secondary growth, it surrounds the vascular tissue in roots and stems.
• The cortex is the tissue just underneath the epidermis and it is several cell layers thick, storing food and water.
• Symplastic Flow is when water flows through inside the cells and into its cytoplasm, the pathways of ion and water created by symplast are known as the symplastic pathway, symplast consists of a cytoplasmic network of every plant cell interconnected by plasmodesmata.
• Parenchyma are cells that have thin cell walls, have intercellular spaces, and functions based on the contents and arrangement of cells.
• Periderm is a protective tissue that replaces the epidermal cell layer when it is damaged.
• Apoplastic Flow is when water flows through the interconnected cell walls, transported from root hair to xylem through the cell wall of intervening cells, this is the pathway outside the plasma membrane consisting of intercellular spaces where the material diffuses freely.
• The epidermis is the first tissue in the roots, a single layer of cells that lack a cuticle and have root hairs, increasing the surface area of the outer dermal tissue of the root, protecting the inner tissues from the outer environment and physical damage.