Root Hair Cells in Plants

What is a root hair cell?

Root hair cells are outgrowths of epidermal cells, specialized cells at the tip of a plant root

What are the adaptations of root hair cells?

• Surface area

• No chloroplasts

• Thin walls

• Has a permanent vacuole

• Cutin

How does surface area impact root hair cells?

The more surface area there is, the bigger the root hair cells are. This increases the rate of absorption of water and ions

What does the cell membrane and cell wall do in root hair cells?

The cell membrane and cell wall enable ions to cross membrane

What does it mean by the cell membrane being partially permeable to water?

The cell membrane absorbs water and ions from the soil

How does the mitochondria impact the root hair cells?

The mitochondria provides energy (ATP - Adenosine Triphosphate) for active transport of ions

How does the short distance affect rate of diffusion?

The root hair cell has a short distance across cell wall, meaning bigger rate of diffusion