Four roots are described. The swollen root of a carrot…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Four roots are described.
- The swollen root of a carrot.
- Roots that hang from the branches of a banyan tree and reach the ground.
- Roots that grow from the lower nodes of a sugarcane stem and slant into the soil.
- Roots of a mangrove tree that grow upwards out of the muddy ground.
Name each kind of root, and say its job.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
A tap root system has a primary root from the radicle, with lateral roots (dicots). A fibrous root system has many thin roots from the base of the stem (monocots). Adventitious roots grow from parts other than the radicle. A root tip has the root cap, the region of meristematic activity, the region of elongation and the region of maturation with root hairs. Roots change for storage (carrot, turnip, radish, sweet potato), support (prop roots of banyan, stilt roots of maize and sugarcane) and breathing (pneumatophores of Rhizophora).
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) A swollen tap root. It stores food.
Step 2. (b) Prop roots. They hold up the heavy branches, like pillars.
Step 3. (c) Stilt roots. They brace the stem.
Step 4. (d) Pneumatophores. They take in oxygen through pores, because marshy ground has little air.
Answer: (a) storage tap root; (b) prop roots, support; (c) stilt roots, support; (d) pneumatophores, breathing.
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