The Plant Body

ROOTS IN FLOWERING PLANTS

• Origin (Radicle or Adventitious)
• Function
• External Anatomy
• Internal Anatomy
• Specialized Roots
• Roots and Plant Nutrition
Tap root and Fibrous (Diffuse) Root
Systems – Both arise from radicle
Comparison of Root Systems
Adventitious Roots: roots that arise
from anything other than the radicle
Adventitious Roots: roots that arise
from anything other than the radicle
 Roots: Function
• Roots anchor the plant in the substratum
or soil.
• Roots absorb water and dissolved
nutrients or solutes (nitrogen,
phosphorous, magnesium, boron, etc.)
needed for normal growth, development,
photosynthesis, and reproduction.
• In some plants, roots have become
adapted for specialized functions.
 EXTERNAL ANATOMY
• Root cap
• Region of cell
division
• Region of
elongation
• Region of
differentiation or
maturation
Hey! I wonder if you
can you give me 1
external part of a root?
Root Cap
 Root Cap
• thimble-shaped mass of
parenchyma cells at the tip of each
root
• protects the root from mechanical
injury
• Dictyosomes or Golgi bodies release
a mucilaginous lubricant (mucigel)
cells lasts less than a week, then
these die
• possibly important in perception of
gravity (i.e., geotropism or
gravitropism)
• amyloplasts (also called statoliths)
appear to accumulate at the bottom
of cells- storage of starch
 Region of Cell Division
• Apical meristem - cells
divide once or twice per
day.
• The transitional
meristems arise from the
tips of roots and shoots.
These include:
– the protoderm (which forms
the epidermis)
– the ground meristem
(which forms the ground
tissue)
– the procambium (forms the
primary phloem and
xylem).
 COPY THIS FACE
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the PROTODERM forms the ground tissue)

Region of Elongation - cells
become longer and wider
Region of Maturation or
Differentiation
 Region of Maturation or
Differentiation
• root hairs develop as
protuberances from
epidermal cells
• increase the surface
area for the
absorption of water
• cuticle exists on root
but not on root hairs
Cortex- composed
of parenchymal cell

Pericycle-initiation of
lateral roots and two
secondary meristem
s, the vascular
cambium and cork
cambium
• cork cambium -is a
lateral meristem and is
responsible for
secondary growth that
replaces the epidermis
in roots and stems

• vascular cambium is
the main growth tissue
in the stems and roots
of many plant
The Casparian Strip
Secondary Growth in Dicot Roots
INDIVIDUAL RECITATION
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BREAK
 Modified Roots
• WATER STORAGE ROOTS
Food Storage Roots
Turnip + Cabbage = Rutabaga
Pneumatophores - black mangrow
Cypress Knees
 CONTRACTILE ROOTS
• Function: it pulls the plant deeper into the
soil by expanding radially and contracting
longitudinally.

LILY DANDELION
Buttress Roots
 Symbiotic Roots
• Legumes
-( needs specific nitrogen)

• Bacterium
-(needs food and shelter)
 Symbiotic Roots
• Mycorrhizae or "fungus
roots" where a symbiotic
relationship forms between
a plant and a fungus.
• In this partnership the
fungus provides protection
against some types of
pathogens and increase
the surface area for the
absorption of essential
nutrients (e.g. phosphorous)
from the soil. The plant in
return provides food for
the fungus in the form of
sugar and amino acids
Photosynthetic Roots
 PROPAGATIVE ROOTS
• Produces adventitious buds along the
roots that grow near the surface of the
ground. The buds develop into aerial
stems (suckers). T
Parasitic roots - Dodder
 GENERALIZATION
• Today I have learned that……
• I realized that ……..
 Reading assignment:
• Herbal Drugs obtained from roots
and underground parts
 GABI
• Colocasia esculenta
• Tubers yield amino acids. Tubers are
digestive, laxative, diuretic, lactagogue,
and styptic
 MAKAHIYA Mimosa pudica
• Roots yield flavonoids, phytosterol,
alkaloids, amino acids, tannins, glycoside,
fatty acids.

• Roots are bitter, astringent, acrid,

alexipharmic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac,
constipating, cooling, diuretic, emetic,
febrifuge, resolvent, vulnerary
 ANIS (licorice) Glycyrrhiza
glabra
• Roots yield starches (30%), pectin, simple
sugars, gums, mucilage (rhizome),
polysaccharides, amino acids, triterpene
saponin, flavonoids.
• Sweet root is said to contain a glycyrrhizin,
a saponin glycoside, that is roughly 50
times sweeter than cane sugar.
• Demulcent, emollient, expectorant, anti-
inflammatory, antispasmodic, alterative,
diuretic and
 BIGA Alocasia macrorrhizos
• Rhizomes contain phytosterols, alkaloids,
glucose, and fructose.

• Rootstock considered laxative, diuretic

 BAYABANG Nephrolepis
cordifolia
• Tubers were found to contain high
amounts of moisture, fat, carbohydrate,
and calcium; protein was maximum in the
rhizome part.
 BEGONIA Begonia coccinea
• Roots of the juice used for conjunctivitis.
tuberous roots and fruits are anodyne,
antiphlogistic and antispasmodic
 SPIDER PLANT Chlorophytum
comosum
• Root tubers have yielded sapogenins and
saponins.
• Studies have suggested antitumor,
antiproliferative, indoor air-purifying,
phytoremediative, burn wound healing
properties.
 KOGON Imperata cylindrical
• Considered antifebrile, anthelmintic,
antibacterial, diuretic, febrifuge,
restorative, styptic, tonic
 TALAHIB Saccharum
spontaneum
• Various root extracts yielded terpenoids,
steroids, glycosides, tannins, flavonoids,
carbohydrates.

• Roots are considered sweet, astringent,

emollient, refrigerant, diuretic, lithotriptic,
purgative, tonic, aphrodisiac