Question

What is the difference between a tiny root and a root hair?

Answer 1

Tiny root:

• Non-green, underground, cylindrical, descending portion of the plant axis.
• Develops from radicle.
• Multi-cellular
• Made up of four regions – Region of root cap, region of cell formation (meristematic zone), region of cell elongation and region of cell differentiation (maturation).
• Shows branching.

Root Hair:

• Tubular, colourless and about 1-10 mm long.
• Extensions of epiblema or epidermal cells in the region of absorption in root.
• Unicellular
• Cell wall consist of two layers – Outer layer (pectic compounds) and Inner layer (Cellulose).
• Cell wall permeable to both solutes and solvent.
• Plasma membrane encloses cytoplasm, nucleus and large central vacuole.
• Nucleus single with presence of peripheral granular cytoplasm.
• Unbranched.