root hair

(thing) by Noung Wed Apr 04 2001 at 17:58:40
The cells on a the root of a plant that take the form of tiny hairs. They give the roots a lot of extra surface area to take in water and minerals. As the concentration of minerals in the roots is much greater than the concentration in the soil around them, normal diffusion will not work and the cells have to absorb minerals by active uptake.

Root hairs occur in the epidermis of a young plant.

Y'know, if you log in, you can write something here, or contact authors directly on the site. Create a New User if you don't already have an account.