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( Root)
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial (that is, growing above the ground) or aerating (that is, growing up above the ground or especially above water). Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either (see rhizome). So, it is better to define root as a part of a plant body that bears no leaves, and therefore also lacks nodes. There are also important internal structural differences between stems and roots. The two major functions of roots are 1.) absorption of water and inorganic nutrients and 2.) anchoring the plant body to the ground. Roots also function in cytokinin synthesis, which supplies some of the shoot's needs. They often function in storage of food. The roots of most vascular plant species enter into symbiosis with certain fungi to form mycorrhizas, and a large range of other organisms including bacteria also closely associate with roots. Early root growth is one of the functions of the apical meristem located near the tip of the root. The meristem cells more or less continuously divide, producing more meristem, root cap cells (these are sacrificed to protect the meristem), and undifferentiated root cells. The latter will become the primary tissues of the root, first undergoing elongation, a process that pushes the root tip forward in the growing medium. Gradually these cells differentiate and mature into specialized cells of the root tissues. Roots will generally grow in any direction where the correct environment of air, mineral nutrients and water exists to meet the plant's needs. Roots will not grow in dry soil. Over time, given the right conditions, roots can crack foundations, snap water lines, and lift sidewalks. At germination, roots grow downward due to gravitropism, the growth mechanism of plants that also causes the shoot to grow upward. In some plants (such as ivy), the "root" actually clings to walls and structures. Growth from apical meristems is known as primary growth, which encompasses all elongation. Secondary growth encompasses all growth in diameter, a major component of woody plant tissues and many nonwoody plants. For example, storage roots of sweet potato have secondary growth but are not woody. Secondary growth occurs at the lateral meristems, namely the vascular cambium and cork cambium. The former forms secondary xylem and secondary phloem, while the latter forms the periderm.
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Root Subcategories
Root Articles
Dental Care: Information About Root Canals by Nicholas Tan
A root canal is a dental procedure that all of us are familiar with. Root canals are something we all dread, although when someone else is getting the procedure most of us find it to be somewhat amusing. When someone asks for a root canal on the ot...
Tooth Abscesses and the Root Canal Relief by Robert Melkonyan
In its simplest sense, a tooth abscess is an infection of the root of the tooth or of the tooth itself. When the root of the tooth is dead, a dentist is most likely to clean the tooth and the root canal before filling the tooth and root canal. In thi...
5 Tips For Searching Dental Professional For Root Canal Surgery by Alex Bellweather
If you are facing problems related to your teeth and looking for the specialized dentist in your area than it is slightly difficult than searching for the general dentist.
It is one of the most daunting tasks to search the experienced and suc...
Causes of Root Canal Disease by Melanie C
Root canal disease happens when the pulpy tissue in the tooth becomes damaged. This can be due to periodontal disease, extensive dental procedures or injury such as a blow to the mouth. When this tissue becomes damaged, it must be removed, the area d...
Traditional Root Canal Procedures may soon be a Thing of the Past by Robert Melkonyan
It has been the same old drill for years, painful trips to the dentist in order to save a tooth with a root canal but that technique is getting a makeover with a special procedure which is referred to as direct pulp capping. Dentists are now able to...
Root Out Your Fears And Phobias With Hypnotherapy by Lilia Wee
Some are terrified of cockroaches, while there are people who hate the sight of spiders. Some are afraid of the dark, while many feel dizzy at great heights. Is there any alternative therapy that may help individuals come out of their phobias? Yes, w...
New Parkinson's Treatment - Scientific Breakthrough Discovers Root Cause by frank C. Adams
Parkinson’s disease was first described in the early 1800s when Dr James Parkinson wrote a paper on what he called ‘the Shaking Palsy’. Surprisingly Dr Parkinson managed to relate the symptoms to a fault in the brain however at the ...
New Multiple Sclerosis Treatment - Scientific Breakthrough Discovers Root Cause by frank C. Adams
There are scientific advancements that look promising for preventing and even reversing Multiple Sclerosis.
Multiple Sclerosis is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system. MS is an inflammatory demyelinating condit...
New Alzheimer's Treatment - Scientific Breakthrough Discovers Root Cause by frank C. Adams
There are scientific advancements that look promising for preventing and even reversing the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive deterioration of the brain, first described in 1907 by the German neu...
Herbal Medicine: Roots, Shoots, Leaves and Flowers by Dr Danny T. Siegenthaler
Transcript of an interview with Medical Herbalist Susan Siegenthaler, director and founder of Wildcrafted Herbal Products Susan Siegenthaler is a Medical Herbalist with over 25 years of clinical experience in private practice. She also...
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