Vegetative parts like root, stem, leaves and other parts like flowers and their tiny buds are vital parts of plants, although these structures are very varied, tailored to different plant species’ demands and environments. These organs are equally crucial to the plants as much as plants are necessary for the survival of human beings.

Let us learn the functions and features of the plant roots.

Roots

Plant roots are organs that provide anchorage for the plant and uptake water and nutrients from the soil or atmosphere into the plant body, allowing plants to grow taller and faster. Roots are usually found below the soil’s surface, but they can also be aerial or aerating, meaning they grow up above the ground.

There are three main parts of the root:

• Taproot: The taproot is a thick root that grows directly downward under the earth and usually grows into a vegetable plant. The taproot produces other tiny roots, making it the plant’s primary and dominant root. Examples of taproots include radish, carrots, beetroot, etc.
• Fibrous roots: These types of roots grow close to the ground and are long roots that grow together in large numbers. They are all of equal size. They usually grow horizontally in various directions. Examples of the fibrous root system can be grass, rosemary, coconut tree, etc.
• Adventitious roots: Adventitious roots originate from an organ other than the root — usually a stem, but occasionally a leaf. They’re especially abundant on underground stems like rhizomes, corms, and tubers, making it possible to replicate many plants vegetatively from stem or leaf cuttings — for example, sugarcane, banyan tree, etc.

Parts of root 

1-Root cap- protect the root

2- Region of meristematic tissue- cell divide in this region

3- Region of elongation- elongated the root in this region. It is present above the meristematic region.

4-Region of maturation- have root hairs and it is the mature part of the root.

Functions of roots 

The functions of roots are as follows:

• Assist in firmly anchoring the plant in the soil.
• Help in water and nutrient absorption from the soil.
• Some roots serve as nutrient storage organs.
• Some roots have been genetically engineered to perform vegetative reproduction. 
• Avoid soil erosion by holding soil particles together.

Root pressure:

Root pressure is responsible for transporting water up to small heights in the stem. 

➨ Root Pressure can only provide a moderate push in the overall process of water transport, and also, it does not play any major role in water movement up tall trees.

➨ The main work of the root pressure is to re-establish the chains of water molecules in the xylem, which frequently gets broken under tremendous pressure created by the process called transpiration. 

➨ It is not responsible for the majority of the water transport as most of the plants meet their requirement through the transpiration pull.

Guttation:

➨ We get to observe the effect of root pressure in the early morning or at night when the evaporation rate is pretty low.

Absorption of water by plants:

➨ Root hairs on the tip of the roots absorb water and other minerals through diffusion.

➨ Once the root hairs take up the water, they need to transport it further down into deep root layers basically by two distinct pathways:

1. Apoplast pathway
2. Symplast pathway

• Apoplast pathway: 

➨Apoplast refers to the non-protoplasmic components of a plant, including the cell wall and the intracellular spaces. This pathway does not provide any restrictions to water movement as water movement is through a mass flow system.

➨ Mass flow of water arises due to the cohesive and adhesive properties of water.

• Symplast pathway: 

➨ Surrounding cells are connected through cytoplasmic strands, which extend through plasmodesmata.

➨ In this type of pathway, the water has to travel through the cell membrane, and thus the movement is relatively slower and down the potential gradient as usual.

➨ Symplastic movements are aided by cytoplasmic streaming also.

Note:

1. Majorly, the flow of water in roots occurs via apoplast as the cortical cells are loosely packed and thus offer no barrier to water movement.
2. Water movement through root layers is ultimately symplastic in the endodermis.

Conclusion

The new plants evolve from modifying the swollen roots where the buds form at the base. The swollen roots are called tubers.Plants are living organisms that include herbs, shrubs, trees, climbers, and creepers. They have a specific structure. Each plant has roots, a stem, leaves, and flowers or other reproductive systems. The various parts of plants have functions that make them important for these plants. Roots provide the plant with nutrition from the soil and anchor the plant. Stems have the purpose of transporting materials such as water, minerals, and nutrients to the leaves of plants. Leaves serve the function of performing photosynthesis which helps in the generation of nutrients within the plant. Flowers are reproductive systems that also protect seeds and help in the production of fruits.