Roots are a plant organ specialized to absorb water and other materials from the soil. Roots help the plant obtain the food it needs to be able to grow and reproduce.
FUNCTION OF ROOTS
-Every organ from the roots to the leaves is connected by continuous pipeline of tissues.
-Roots are the source of the life for trees and plants. They allow them to get the sustenance they need to survive.
-Water is necessary for photosynthesis and metabolism.
-Roots also anchor the plant and store food.
-Roots may extend deep into the ground, or far from the plant.
PARTS OF A ROOT
ROOT CAP-The root cap is a thimble-shaped group of cells covering the tip of the root. It protects the meristematic cells behind it from injury.
ROOT HAIRS-The outermost cells in the zone of maturation fORm tiny fingerlike structures called root hairs
KINDS OF ROOT SYSTEMS
TAPROOT-A single large taproot extends deep into the ground with other smaller roots branching from it.
FIBROUS ROOT SYSTEM-The roots of some plants consist of arrangements of millions of branching roots.
For more information on roots go to these links:
http://www.elixirfarm.com/pandro.htm
http://www.cbr.for.csiro.au/research/mycorrhiza/ozplants.html
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