Exercise 10 Longitudinal Structure

ROOTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

Encoded by Shyr 1E-PH
THREE MAIN FUNCTION:
• Anchorage (anchoring the plant firmly
to a substrate)
• Absorption (water and minerals
• Production of Hormones; shoot growth
and development are dependent on
the hormones Cytokinins & Gibberellin
• Other function: food storage, support,
protection
Taproot
Root Tip
• Most are dicot
• Region where growth in length occurs
• Single prominent taproot that is much
larger than the rest where numerous Root Cap
• Secrete a complex polysaccharide
lateral roots or branch (roots) arise
• Ex: carrots, beets, and radishes – plant’s called “slime or mucigel”
o Lubricates passage of root
main site of carbohydrate storage

m
through the soil.

er as
during winter.
o Causes soil to release its nutrient
Lateral

co
• It develops from the embryonic root ions and permits the ions to

eH w
diffuse more rapidly toward the
called radicle (present in the seed; after
root.

o.
germination; largest root in the system)
• Prominently swollen rs e • Helps lubricate the passage of the root
ou urc
• Perennial and woody through the soil
• Causes the soil to release nutrient ion
• Roots undergo secondary growth
(produces wood and bark) and permits diffusion to the roots
• Provides effective protection for apical
o

• Ex: sweet potatoes, cassava

meristem
aC s

Longitudinal Section
vi y re

Fibrous
• Most are monocot and some dicot
• Have many similarly sized root
• This arises because radicle dies during or
ed d

immediately after germination

ar stu

Adventitious
• Does not arise from pre-existing root
• As the plant age, more root primordial
are initiated in the stem tissue
is

• Increase the absorptive & transport

Th

capacities of the root system

Root System

Zone of Cell Division/ Meristem

sh

• Protected by thick layer of cell

• Rapidly dividing cell
• Quiescent Center – Mitotically inactive
o Activated when the root apical
meristem is damaged to produce
a new apical meristem.

This study source was downloaded by 100000825018824 from CourseHero.com on 05-01-2021 03:21:06 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/34485645/Roots-pdf/
 Three Primary Meristem
• Protoderm – Gives rise to the epidermis
• Ground Meristem – Stores food and
uptake of minerals
• Pro cambium – Gives rise to stele;
Central cylinder of the vascular tissue
with xylem and phloem
• Quiescent Zone – Slower or no cell
division
Zone of Elongation
• Region when cells expands greatly; cells
can be seen
• Cells begin to differentiate to visible
pattern
• No cell maturation Root hair zone
o Protoderm – Epidermis • a region in which many of epidermal
o Ground Tissue – Differentiates to cells extend out as narrow trichomes.
the cortex Root Hairs
o Pro vascular Tissue – Primary • Form only in a part of the root that is not

m
elongating

er as
Xylem & Primary Phloem
Zone of Maturation • Function only for several days after

co
• Root hairs grows outward; greatly which they die and degenerate (4 or 5

eH w
increasing absorption days after forming)

o.
• No distinct boundary exists between • Absorption of water and minerals is
elongation and maturation rs e increased
ou urc
• Most significant activity is the transfer of Root pressure
minerals from the epidermis to the • The absorption of minerals in the root
vascular bundle hair zone causes a powerful absorption
o

of water, and a water pressure.

aC s

Cross Section Structure of the Zone of Epidermis

vi y re

Maturation • Outermost layer

Endodermis
• Innermost layer of the cortical cell
differentiated as a cylinder
ed d

• Tangential wall
ar stu

• Casparian strips – involved in controlling

the types of minerals that enter the
xylem water stream. (Impermeable)
• Note that: Minerals can cross the
is

endodermis only if endodermal

protoplasts absorb them from the
Th

intercellular spaces of the cortex

apoplast or from cortical cells and then
secrete them into the vascular tissues.
sh

Cortex
• Transfer minerals from the epidermis to
the vascular tissue
o This can be either by diffusion
through the walls and intercellular
spaces (called apoplastic
transport)
o Or by absorption into the
cytoplasm of a cortical cell and
This study source was downloaded by 100000825018824 from CourseHero.com on 05-01-2021 03:21:06 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/34485645/Roots-pdf/
 then transferal from cell to cell Specialized Roots
(through plasmodesmata)

Pericycle
• Irregular region
• Found between the vascular tissue and
endodermis
• Region where lateral roots arise

Vascular Tissue
Phloem – Food conducting tissue

m
er as
Xylem – Water conduction tissue

co
eH w
o.
rs e
ou urc
o
aC s
vi y re
ed d
ar stu
is
Th
sh

This study source was downloaded by 100000825018824 from CourseHero.com on 05-01-2021 03:21:06 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/34485645/Roots-pdf/
 m
er as
co
eH w
o.
rs e
ou urc
o
aC s
vi y re
ed d
ar stu
is
Th
sh

This study source was downloaded by 100000825018824 from CourseHero.com on 05-01-2021 03:21:06 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/34485645/Roots-pdf/
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)