Roots ROOT STRUCTURE

 Anchor tees firmly in the soil through an extensive
branching network constituting 1/3 of the total dry
weight of plant.
 Most plants – 3-5 meters (10-16 ft.) down to earth
 Herbaceous plants – 0.6-0.9 meter (2-3 ft.) upper
 3 of which are not sharply defined at their
boundaries.
 The cells of each region gradually develop
the form of those of the next region.

 Roots absorb water and minerals in solution

mostly through feeder roots found in the
upper meter.
 Some have roots that store water or food
 Other perform specialized function
Aquatic plants – normally produce roots in water and
many epiphytes (nonparasitic plants that grow
suspended without direct contact with the ground-
orchids) produce aerial roots.
HOW ROOTS DEVELOP?
Seeds germinate-tiny root like radicle part of
embryo within it grows out and develops into new
roots.

Two types of Root:

1)TAPROOT (main root)
 thick
 tapered from which thinner branch roots
arise
 growing deep down into the soil
2)ADVENTITIOUS (fibrous root)
 arise from stem
 attached to the radicle and continues with it
 they develop from a stem or leaf instead
from another root
 made up of similar size and similar shapes.
 Fibrous root system – have large numbers of fine
roots of similar diameter then develops from
adventitious roots.

 Root hairs - greatly increase the total surface

area of the root.
 Dicots – ex. Many plants, peas and carrots
whose seeds have
– 2 seed leaves
– have taproot systems with one, or
occasionally more, primary roots from which
secondary roots develop.
 Monocotyledonous plants
– one seed leaf (corn, rice)
– have fibrous roots systems
 Adventitious and other types of roots may
develop in both monocots and dicots.

REGIONS
1) ROOT CAP
 Composed of thimble-shaped mass of
parenchyma cells covering the tip of each
root.
 Protect from damage the delicate tissues
behind it as the young root tip pushes
through often angular and abrasive soil
particles.
 no equivalent in stems
 dictyosomes of the root cap’s outer cells
secrete and release a slimy substance that
lodges in the walls and eventually passes to
the outside.
 The cells which are replaced from the inside,
constantly slough off, forming a slimy
lubricant that facilitates the root tip’s
movement through the soil.
 The mucilaginous lubricant also provides a
medium favorable to the growth of
beneficial bacteria that add to the nitrogen
supplies available to the plant.
 Grows randomly instead of more or less
downward-perception of gravity.
 Amyloplasts (plastids that contain starch
grains)
- Act as gravity sensors, collecting on the
slides of root cap cells facing the
direction of gravitational force.
2) REGION OF CELL DIVISION
 Apical meristem in the center of the root tip,
produce the surrounding root cap.
 Most of the cell division takes place at the
edges of this inverted cup-shaped zone. (the
cells divide every 12-36 hours)
 Base of the meristem: divide only once in
every 200 to 500 hours.
Division are RHYTHMITIC. Cells mostly are
cubical, large or more or less centrally located
nuclei and few very small vacuole.
Apical meristem subdivisions in both roots and
stems:
1. Protoderm (gives rise to an outer layer of
cells,
epidermis)
2. Ground meristem (inside of the protoderm,
produces parenchyma cells of the cortex).
3. Procambium (solid cylinder in the center of
the root that produces primary xylem and
primary phloem)
Pith (parenchyma) tissue is usually absent in
most dicot roots except for grass roots or other
monocots.
3) THE REGION OF ELONGATION
 Merges with apical meristem that extends
about 1cm or less from the tip of the root.
 Tiny vacuoles merge and grow until one or
two large vacuoles occupying up to 90% of
the cell.
 Only the root cap and the apical meristem
are pushing through the soil. Since no
further increase in cell takes place above the
region of elongation.
4) THE REGION OF MATURATION
 Root-hair zone. Hair like, delicate
protuberances that develop from many of
the epidermal cells.
 Root hairs absorb water and minerals
adhere tightly to soil particles with the aid
of microscopic fibers they produce and
greatly increase the total absorptive surface
of the root.
Root hair die as soon as exposed to sun, when
moving a seedling or plant. Reducing the capacity to
absorb water and minerals in solution.
  Cross-section; rear view of a rocket with fins or
arms.
 Woody plants, a cork cambium arises in the
a) Cu pericycle outside of the vascular cambium and
ticl gives rise to cork tissue (periderm)
e:
IN BOTH ROOTS and STEMS
 DETERMINATE
 Growth that stops after an organ such as
thin enough in the root hairs and epidermal flower or leaf is fully expanded or after
cells of roots; allow water to be absorbed; plant has reached certain size
protect against invasion by fungi or  INDETERMINATE
bacteria.  Occurs in trees and other perennials
b) Cortex: composed of parenchyma mostly where new tissues are added
store food. indefinitely, season after season.
c) Endodermis: inner boundary of cortex
composed of suberin and lignin. SPECIALIZED ROOTS
d) Casparian strips 1) FOOD STOAGE ROOTS
 Found on radial and transverse cells.  Enlarged and store large quantities of
 Plasma membrane of endodermal starch and other carbohydrates which
cells are fused to these may be used for extensive growth later.
 Prevent water from passing through  Yams and sweet potatoes, extra cambial
otherwise permeable or porous cell cells develop in partsof the xylem of the
walls. branch roots and produce parenchymal
 Forces water and dissolved cells-organs swell and provide storage
substances entering and leaving the areas for large amount of starch and
central core of tisues to pass through other carbohydrates (deadly poisonous
the water hemlocks, dandelions, and in
 Plasmodesmata: regulates the types salsify.)
of minerals absorbed and  Carrots, beets, turnips and radishes-the
transported by the root to the stems food storage tissues are actually a
and leaves. combination of root and stem.
2) WATER STORAGE ROOTS
e) Vascular cylinder: core of tissues that is  Plants that grow in Arid regions
inside the endodermis e.g pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae)
(squash, melon, cucumber)
f) Pericycle:  Used by plants when supply in soil is
 Important layer of parenchyma tissue inadequate.
that is 1 cell wide.
 Continue to divide even they have
matured. 3) PROPAGATIVE ROOTS
 Lateral or branch roots and part of  Produce adventitious buds (appearing in
the vascular cambium or dicots arise places other than stems) along the roots
within this area. that grow near the surface of the ground.
 Develop into aerial stems called suckers
(have additional rootlets at their base).
Root suckers can be separated from the
original root and grown individually
(E.g. Cherries, apples, pears and other
fruit trees)
4) PNEUMATOPHORES
 Spongy roots that develop due to plants
that grow with their roots in water that
have no enough oxygen available for
 Dicot / Conifer roots
normal respiration in the root cell.
(E.g.swamp plants, yellow water weed)
Pimary xylem: tracheids and vessels
  Extend above the water’s surface and
 Root nodules: small swellings from the
enhance gas exchange between the
association of root bacteria and plants such as
atmosphere and the subsurface roots to
from the Legume family (Fabaceae) – peas,
which they are connected.
beans, alfafa and few other plants such as alders.
5) AERIAL ROOTS
 Prevent loss of moisture from the root
 Mycorrhizzae: mutualistic association of roots
 Velamen roots of orchids, prop roots of and fungus.
corn (if produced toward the stem it has  Essential to the normal growth and
aerial roots to support from high wind) development of forest trees as well as
and banyan trees, adventitious roots of most herbaceous plants and facilitate
ivies and photosynthetic roots of certain the uptake of water and inorganic
orchids. ions.
 Tropical plants – screw pine and various  Some fungal hyphae penetrate the
mangroves produce sizable prop roots. root cortex but does not enter the cell

 Vanilla orchid, vanilla flavoring,

 Mantle: thick, encrusting layer
produces chlorophyll in its aerial roots
and through photosynthesis, can
 Ectotrophic: found in trees like pines and oaks
manufacture food with them.
6) CONTRACTILE ROOTS
 Endotrophic: hyphae invades cells of the cortex
 Pull the plant deeper into the soil
and a mantle is not present.
 Continue to pull down until an area of (Woody and herbaceous plants).
relatively stable temperature is reached.
7) BUTTRESS ROOTS
Some tropical trees have these growing
in shallow soils toward the base of the
trunk, giving them great stability.
8) PARASITIC ROOTS
 Haustoria-peglike projections that
develop along the stem in contact with
the host. They penetrate the outer
tissues and establish connections with
the xylem and phloem.
(e.g. Indian warrior, Mistletoe)

 Dodders, broomrapes, and pinedrops

have no chlorophyll and have become
dependent on chlorophyll-bearing plants
for their nutrition.

a) Saprophyte- organisms that lack chlorophyll

and obtain nutrients from organic matter is
most appropriately used to describe fungi
obtain nutrition.

b) Epiphytes- grow on other plants and obtain

moisture and nutrients from the air and
rain. (e.g. orchids)

c) Epiparasite- parasite of fungi in the soil.

(e.g. Indian pipe)

d) Myco-heterotroph- obtains some or all of

its carbon from fungus rather than from
photosynthesis. (e.g. Indian pipe)
 10-20 centimeters
 A horizon: darker and upper portion
 E horizon: lighter and lower portion
 B horizon or subsoil: 0.3-0.9 meter,clay
 C horizon: 10 cm: soil parent material
and extends down to bedrock.

 SOIL TEXTURE
a) SANDS: composed of many small
particles
bound together chemically or by a
cementing matrix.
b) SILT: consists of particles that are mostly
too small to be seen without a lens
or
a microscope.
c) CLAY: particles are so tiny that they
cannot be seen though powerful light
microscope.
 Micelles: individual clay particles.
SOIL
 Dynamic, complex, constantly changing part of
the earth’s crust that extends from a few
centimeters deep in some places to hundreds of
meters deep in others.  LOAMS: ‘Best Agricultural Soil’
 Mixture of sand, clay and organic
FACTORS AFFECTING CHANGES IN SOIL: matter.
 Climate  Better loams: 40% silt, 40% sand,
 Parent material 20% clay.
 Topography of the area  Light soils: high sand, low clay
 Vegetation  Heavy soils: high clay content
 Living organisms  Coarse soils: larger particles,
 Time porous and don’t retain much
 Horizons: 1-2 meters in an undisturbed area. water
 Clay soils: high water content and
 Topsoil: upper layer usually extending down allow little water to pass through.
 SOIL pH
 Affects both soil and the plant
 Cranberries: thrive in acidic conditions
 Unusually acidic or alkaline: toxic to the
roots of other plants and mycorhizzae do
not survive in soils with pH extremes.

 ALKALINITY: minerals such as copper, iron, and

manganese to become less available to plants.

 ACIDITY: if high enough, inhibits the growth of

nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

 Acid soils tend to be common in areas of high

precipitation where significant amount of bases
are leached from the topsoil.

 LIMING: common agricultural practice to

counteract soil acidity by adding calcium or
magnesium.

 SULFUR: makes alkaline soils acidic

 Bacteria coverts it to sulfuric acid.
Same as what will occur when
nitrogenous fertilizers are added.