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Root System

Importance Of Roots

Carrots, sugar beets, turnips, and cassava are all roots specialized for the storage of carbohydrates. These compounds are stored over winter by the plant for use in the following growing season.

Onions, garlic, potatoes, and ginger grow underground but are not roots; rather, they are stem tissue modified to serve a storage function. A root is defined by its structure, rather than its function.

Roots penetrate, bind, and stabilize the soil, helping to prevent soil erosion. Roots also stimulate the growth of soil micro- and macroorganisms, compact the soil, alter soil chemistry through their secretions, and add organic material upon their death.

Resources

Books

Capon, B. Botany for Gardeners. Portland: Timber Press, 1990.

Mauseth, J.D. Botany: An Introduction to Plant Biology. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing, 1991.

Moore, R., and W.D. Clark. Botany: Plant Form and Function. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown, 1995.

Raven, Peter, R.F. Evert, and Susan Eichhorn. Biology of Plants. 6th ed. New York: Worth Publishers Inc., 1998.

Steven B. Carroll

KEY TERMS

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Cortex: —The root cortex is a relatively soft tissue that occurs between the epidermis and the internal, vascular tissues. Functions primarily in storage and in movement of water into the vascular cylinder.
Epidermis: —The outermost and usually single layer of cells in the root. Gives rise to root hairs.
Fibrous root system: —A root system comprised of many roots of approximately equal size. Fibrous roots are found primarily in the upper horizons of the soil.
Meristem: —A group of cells whose primary function is cell division. Divisions result in one daughter cell that continues to function as a meristem cell and one daughter cell that differentiates into a different cell type.
Mucigel: —A polysaccharide produced by roots that aids root penetration, inhibits desiccation, and increases absorption.
Taproot: —The dominant root formed by most plants, and from which additional lateral roots arise.

Additional topics

Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: Revaluation of values: to Sarin Gas - History And Global Production Of SarinRoot System - Types Of Roots, Importance Of Roots