Water Absorption and Pathway of Water Across the Root
Water absorbing structure of the plant is root hair zone . Root hair is tubular prolongation of epiblema cells . Root hairs are unicellular, short lived and arranged in an acropetal manner. Root hairs are found in zone of cell maturation. During transplantation the root hairs are removed, that is why, the plant remains wilted in the new habitat . The cell wall of the hair is made up of two layers. The outside wall is of pectin which dissolves in water, so that root hair surface becomes slimy and sticky. The inner wall is made up of cellulose. They are about 10 micro m. There OP is higher ( 3-8 atm ) as compared to soil solution ( less than 1 atm ) . Many forest trees, shrubs and some conifers have scantly root hairs so they make association with the fungi, called mycorrhiza . Orchid roots have a specific type of tissue for absorbing environmental moisture; this tissue is called velaman tissue. Movement of water from root hair cell to xylem may occour by two possible pa...