Read Root Zones and Modified Roots
Roots anchor and absorb, but their branches and modifications can also store food, support shoots and aid specialised functions.
Living-system questions are solved by matching a structure or organism to its function, process and stated condition.
Locate the absorbing zone
Root hairs occur in the zone of maturation, above the elongation zone, and absorb water and minerals. Fibrous roots arise from the stem base; adventitious roots arise from non-root tissues. Banyan prop roots and cereal stilt roots provide mechanical support.
Identify special roots
Sweet potato is a tuberous adventitious storage root; carrot is a storage taproot. Pneumatophores project upward in waterlogged soils for gas exchange. Roots may also anchor and, in some plants, store reserves.
OlympIQ exam lens
- ✓Root hairs: maturation zone.
- ✓Sweet potato: storage adventitious root.
- ✓Maize/sugarcane: stilt roots; banyan: prop roots.
- ✓Roots absorb, anchor, and can store food.
Fibrous describes a root-system pattern; it is not a synonym for every adventitious root.
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