The simplest ORGAN
ORGANS
 ORGANS - have one
or more
FUNCTIONS and
composed of
SEVERAL TISSUES
 ROOTS are the
simplest
FUNCTIONS of ROOTS
 ANCHORAGE
FUNCTIONS of ROOTS
 ABSORBING and
CONDUCTING
Water and Nutrients
FUNCTIONS of ROOTS
 FOOD STORAGE
 Taproots
 Fascicled roots
FUNCTIONS of ROOTS
 FOOD STORAGE in Cortex
FUNCTIONS of ROOTS
 All ROOTS are for:
 Anchorage
 Absorbing and
Conducting Nutrients
 Food Storage
 Some can
REPRODUCE by root
cuttings
CLASSIFICATION of ROOTS
 Based on
ORIGINATION
 PRIMARY
 SECONDARY
 ADVENTITIOUS
CLASSIFICATION of ROOTS
 Based on TYPE of
ROOT SYSTEM
 Taproot
 Fibrous
 Fascicled
ROOT ANATOMY
 Region of Maturation
(Differentiation)
 Region of Elongation
 Meristem Region
 Quiescent Zone
 Root Cap
ROOT ANATOMY
 Dicots
ROOT ANATOMY
 Monocots
ROOT ANATOMY
 Secondary or Lateral root generation
ROOT PHYSIOLOGY
 Water and Nutrient
CONDUCTION is
comprised of THREE
ACTIONS
 ROOT PRESSURE
 CAPILLARITY
 TRANSPIRATION
ROOT PHYSIOLOGY
 ROOT PRESSURE

OSMOSIS

Pathway A –
Intercellular Spaces

Pathway B –
Root Hairs
ROOT PHYSIOLOGY
 ROOT PRESSURE

Casparian Strip
ROOT PHYSIOLOGY
 CAPILLARY ACTION (or Capillarity)


Adhesion
Cohesion
ROOT PHYSIOLOGY
 TRANSPIRATIONAL
PULL (or Transpiration)

As WATER EVAPORATES
or DIFFUSES from the
surface of a leaf, and as
cells replace water , the
continuous loss of water
PULLS it up through plant
SPECIALIZED ROOTS and
ASSOCIATIONS
 PROP ROOTS
 CLIMBERS
 PNEUMATOPHORES
SPECIALIZED ROOTS and
ASSOCIATIONS
 EPIPHYTES
 CONTRACTILE ROOTS
 PARASITIC ROOTS
ROOT ASSOCIATIONS
 MYCORRHIZAL
Associations
 ”Fungus Root”
 MUTUALISTIC
fungus/plant
relationship
 Helps absorb WATER
and NUTRIENTS for
PLANT
 Plant provides
SUGARS for FUNGUS
ROOT ASSOCIATIONS
 MYCORRHIZAL Associations
ROOT ASSOCIATIONS
 BACTERIAL Associations
 MUTUALISTIC
bacterial/plant relationship
 BACTERIA absorbs
NITROGEN from
atmosphere, and converts it
into AMMONIUM (NH4-) a
NUTRIENT for PLANTS
 PLANT provides SUGARS
for BACTERIA