ROOT
Main Functions of Roots
1. Anchoring the plant firmly to a substrate
(soil)
2. Absorption of water and minerals
3. Production of hormones.
• shoot growth and development depend on the
hormones cytokinin and gibberellin
Additional Functions
• Carbohydrate storage - Fleshy taproots (i.e. carrots,
beets, radishes)
• Protection – in Crysophila and Mauritia, roots grow
out of the trunk and harden into sharp spines
• Vegetative reproduction – roots spread horizontally
and produce shoot buds (i.e. willows, sorrel)
• Parasitic roots - modified roots attack other plants
and draw water and nutrients out of them (i.e.
mistletoe, dodder)
Root System
Three types of root system:
1. Tap Root
2. Fibrous Root
3. Adventitious
Tap Root
• single prominent root (tap root) that is much
larger than all the rest and numerous small
roots (lateral roots or branch roots) coming out
of it
• Derived from the radicle (embryonic root)
• Anchorage
• Common in dicot and gymnosperm
• perennial and woody plants: roots undergo
secondary growth
Taproot
Nicotiana tabacum Radish
Tap Root
• Fleshy taproots: carrots, beets, radish, turnips
• Swollen lateral roots: sweet potatoes, cassava
Swollen taproot of Sunflower: taproot is about the
carrot same size as the laterals
Fibrous Root
• mass of many similarly sized,
delicate and hair-like roots
• no prominent enlarged primary root
• Produced after death of radicle
• Derived from the root primordia
found at the end of radicle
• Common in monocots and some
dicots
• Absorption
Adventitious Root
• Do not arise from pre-existing roots
• Present in monocot and dicot
▪ brace root - arise from main trunk stem
▪ prop root - arise from the lateral
branches of the main stem.
Adventitious Root
Brace root: Prop root:
Dicot vs. Monocot
Dicot Roots
• Secondary growth = ↑ quantity of healthy,
functional wood (xylem) in the roots = ↑ no. of
leaves and fine absorptive roots
Young dicot Older dicot
Monocot Roots
• No secondary growth = stem of an older plant is
not wider than young plant, no ↑ conducting
capacity, no more leaves or roots than young plant
Young monocot Older monocot
Monocot Roots
• Stolons or rhizomes = ↑ size
• horizontal shoots branch and then produce
adventitious roots
External Structure
• Root tip - the growing
portion protected by
root cap; push through
the soil
• Root cap – Thick layer
of cells that protects
root apical meristem
(root tip); constantly
being worn away and
renewed
• Mucigel (Slime) -
complex polysaccharide
secreted by
dictyosomes of root cap
for lubrication
Root Cap and Apical Meristem
• Zone of elongation
• found behind the root cap
and root apical meristem
• few mm long
• where cells undergo division
and expansion
• Root hairs
• single celled extension of
epidermal cells which
increase absorptive area
• no line of demarcation in the
epidermal cells
• transitory ( die within 4-5
days)
• form only in a part of the
root that is not elongating
Internal Structure
Root Cap
• Cells are meristematic (cell division with
transverse walls & forming files of cells that are
pushed forward)
• As cells are pushed
forward, they develop
dense starch grains and
their endoplasmic
reticulum becomes
displaced to the forward
end of the cell = detects
gravity because the starch
grains settle to the lower
side of the cell
Root Apical Meristem
Root hair zone &
region of maturation
Zone of elongation
procambium
Ground meristem Root apical meristem
protoderm
peripheral
Root cap
columella
Root Apical Meristem
• more orderly than the shoot because it
experiences no disruptions
• Quiescent center - mitotically inactive
central region
• cells are more resistant to various types of
harmful agents such as radiation and toxic
chemicals
• Serves as reserve of healthy cells
Quiescent Center
• Becomes active when
root apical meristem or
root cap is damaged
and forms new apical
meristem
• Once the new
meristem is
established, its central
cells become inactive,
forming a new
quiescent center
Zone of Elongation
• the region where the cells expand greatly; some
meristematic, but mostly enlarging
• Protoderm – outermost; forms epidermis
(dermal region)
• Provascular tissue – at center; forms primary
xylem/ phloem then metaxylem/
metaphloem (Stele/ vascular region)
• Ground tissue – between protoderm and
provascular tissue; Parenchyma cells that
form root cortex
Zone of Maturation
• Root hairs grow outward
• zone of elongation merges gradually with the
zone of maturation
Zone of Maturation
Cortex
- transfer of minerals from the epidermis
to the vascular tissue
• apoplastic transport - diffusion through
the walls and intercellular spaces
• symplastic transport - absorption into the
cytoplasm of a cortical cell and then
transfer from cell to cellthrough
plasmodesmata
1 – apoplastic
2 – apoplastic + symplastic
3 – symplastic
(cont…)
• Minerals do not have free access to the
vascular tissues because the innermost layer
of cortical cells differentiates into a cylinder
called the endodermis
Endodermis
• Controls the passage of minerals across
the vascular tissues
• Consist of thick-walled cells (encrusted
with suberin and lignin); diffusion is
inhibited
(cont…)
Casparian strip
• bands of lignin and suberin on the radial
walls (top, bottom and side walls) causing
the cell walls to be water proof
• Impermeable
• minerals can cross the endodermis only if
the endodermal protoplasts absorb them,
then secrete them into the vascular
tissues
1 – apoplastic (no apoplastic
across the endodermis)
2 – apoplastic + symplastic
3 – symplastic
Cross section of
Ranunculus root (Buttercup)
Internal anatomy of young dicot
root shows three general
sections:
1. Dermal region – epidermis with
root hairs
2. Cortex – outer collenchyma
middle parenchyma
inner endodermis
3. Stele or vascular cylinder
Vascular Tissue – Dicot vs Monocot
Dicot: xylem forms a solid mass in Monocot: strands of xylem and
the center, surrounded by strands phloem are distributed in ground
of phloem; no pith tissue
Monocot
Vascular Tissue
Xylem
• Metaxylem - inner
wide cells
• Protoxylem – outer
narrow cells
Xylem (cont…)
Dicot: Two to four or more groups of protoxylem may
be present (larger roots = ↑ no.)
Triarch Tetrarch Pentarch
Xylem (cont…)
In monocot:
Polyarch – many xylem poles
Siphonostele – strands of
xylem and phloem surrounding
a parenchymatous pith
Epidermis
Outer collenchyma
Middle parenchyma
Endodermis
Pith
Pericycle
Primary xylem
Primary phloem
Monocot root
Vascular Tissue – most dicots
Phloem
• Protophloem - found on the outer side
• Metaphloem - found on the inner side
Pericycle
• Found between the vascular tissue and the
endodermis
• parenchyma cells that constitute an irregular region
• Where growth of lateral roots are initiated
Origin Development of Lateral
Roots
• Initiated by cell divisions in the pericycle
• Localized cells remains mitotically active creating a
small root primordium that become a root apical
meristem and pushes outward
• As it pushes outward, the new lateral root destroys
the cells of the cortex and epidermis that lie in its
path, ultimately breaking the endodermis.
• Then, formation of a root cap, first protoxylem and
protophloem elements connected to the vascular
tissues of the parent root.
Origin and Development of Lateral roots
Old dicot root shows two distinct
regions:
1. Region of secondary vascular
tissues which include the
a. secondary phloem
b. vascular cambium
c. secondary xylem
2. Region of periderm layers:
a. phellem or cork
b. phellogen or cork cambium
c. phelloderm or cork parenchyma
Old dicot root
Other Types of Roots
Storage Roots
• provide long-term storage for carbohydrates that
accumulate during summer photosynthesis
• Fleshy taproots - carrots, ube, radish, turnips
Prop roots
• Adventitious roots from stems
• Pandanus (screwpine), Ficus (Banyan trees)
Brace roots in corn plant – for additional
support and absorption
Water retention Velamen in aerial roots of orchids
Velamen- dead cells, white; acts as
waterproof barrier
Photosynthesis Chlorophyllous roots
Movement Contractile roots of bulbs like
onions, gladiolus, garlic
* Contraction is due to change in shape of cortical
cells
Parasitic (haustorial roots) for absorption
Buttresses- expanded roots for great
support
Pneumatophores- breathing roots of
mangrove for aeration
With lenticles and aerenchyma for diffusion of Oxygen