Kavya pulls a mustard plant and a wheat plant out of wet soil…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Kavya pulls a mustard plant and a wheat plant out of wet soil.
- Name the root system of each plant.
- Which plant has a main root that grew from the radicle?
- Which plant is a monocot?
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) Mustard has a main root with lateral roots: a tap root system. Wheat has many thin roots of about the same size: a fibrous root system.
Step 2. (b) In mustard the primary root from the radicle stays and keeps growing. In wheat it dies early, and thin roots from the base of the stem take its place.
Step 3. (c) Wheat is a monocot. Mustard is a dicot.
Answer: (a) mustard, tap; wheat, fibrous; (b) mustard; (c) wheat.
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