Root System, Structure and Medicinal Importance

● Functions:
1. Anchors the plant firmly to a substrate (soil).
2. Absorbs water and minerals.
3. Produce hormones for growth and development.

★ Hormones
○ Plants produce hormones like cytokinin, iaa and indole acetic acids.
○ Control the elongation of the root system and division of the cells.
○ Important for the development of vegetative and reproductive parts.
○ Control the opening/closing of stomates.

Organization of Root Systems

3 types of Root System

1. Tap root
○ Develops from an embryonic root called the radicle; after germination it grows to
become the largest root in the system.
○ With enlarged primary tap root.
○ Woody dicot and gymnosperm.
○ Perennial life span, woody/trees.

★ Embryo
 ○ A dicot seed contains a tiny living plant called an embryo. When the seed
germinates, the embryo becomes a plant.
○ 2 axis
■ Epicotyl
● Upper Axis
● Point of attachment above the cotyledon.
● Gives rise to the shoot system of the plant (First stem & Leaf).
■ Hypocotyl
● Lower axis
● Point of attachment below the cotyledon.
○ Cotyledon
■ Area where the food is stored
○ Radicle
■ Growing tip of the hypocotyl.
■ Embryonic root that will develop to become the primary root.

2. Fibrous or Diffuse
○ Similarly sized roots, this arises because the radicle dies during or immediately
after germination.
○ Present in monocot plants.
○ Best adapted for absorption.
○ Right after the death of the radicle, it is replaced by smaller roots or fibrous roots.

3. Adventitious
○ Do not arise from pre-existing roots/radicles (arise from other organs of the plants
like stem/trunk/lateral branches)
○ Increase the absorptive and transport capacities of the root system.
○ For additional support and absorption.
○ It has both adventitious and tap root system.
○ Ex. Bakawan, Corn
○ 2 kinds:
■ Brace root
● Arise from the main trunk/stem.
■ Prop root
● Arise from the lateral branches of the main stem.
● Ex. Mangrove
External Structure of Tap Root System
● Taproot
○ Single prominent root, origin is radicle.
● Lateral or branch roots
 ○ Smaller and arise from the taproot.
○ Sometimes called secondary tap root.
● Root hair
○ Arise from epidermis.
○ Single celled extension which increases absorptive area.
○ No line of demarcation in the epidermal cells.
● Root tip
○ The growing portion protected by a root cap.

★ Tertiary roots
○ Roots that arise from secondary tap roots.
★ Carrot
○ Fleshy tap root.
○ Biennial/annual plant

Structure of Individual Roots

Newly germinated seed
● Root cap
○ Thimble shaped mass of cells that protects the root tip or root apical meristems.
○ 3 Major Functions:
■ Protection
■ Secretion of slime or mucigel
● Used for lubricating the passage of roots through the soil.
■ Positive geotropism
● Response to the pull of gravity.
● Pulls the root to grow downward.
○ 2 types of cell:
■ Columella Cells
● Cells in the middle of the root cap.
● Store starch at the bottom which makes the lower portion of the root heavier
than the upper part.
■ Peripheral Cells
● Cells on the sides of the root cap - for protection.
○ Quiescent center
■ Is the mitotically inactive region of the root apical meristem.
■ Act as a reserve of healthy cells.
■ Resistant to toxic substances and radiations.
● Zone of cell division
○ Cells are mitotically active.
○ Protected by the root cap.
○ Consists of meristematic cells (actively dividing).
● Zone of cell elongation
○ Zone where the meristematic tissues are arranged to become permanent tissues.
○ The cells are not yet mature, but they are elongated.
● Zone of cell differentiation/maturation
○ With root hairs.
○ Where mature tissues are seen.
■ Dermal section
■ Cortex region
■ Stele/Vascular Cylinder
 ● Contains the xylem & ohloem

★ Protoderm
○ Will give rise to the dermal tissues.
★ Ground meristem
○ Give rise to cortex
★ Procambium
○ Give rise to the primary vascular tissues.

Internal Structure of Young Dicot Root

- All tissues are primary tissues. No wood/bark yet.
1. Dermal region
○ Epidermis with root hairs.
○ Outermost part.
2. Cortex
○ 3 types of cells:
■ Outer collenchyma
● Cells having primary cell walls which are unevenly thickened.
● Flexible and used for strengthening materials.
● Deposition is used only on the corners where the cells meet.
■ Middle parenchyma
● Cells with uniformly thin walls.
● For storage
■ Inner endodermis (center)
● Line the separates the cortex from the stele/vascular cylinder.
3. Stele or vascular cylinder
○ Consists if the following:
■ Pericycle – outermost layer
■ Primary xylem
■ Primary phloem
■ Vascular cambium
● Responsible for secondary growth.
● Will produce wood/bark
Cross section of Ranunculus root (Buttercup)
★ Based on the nature of the wall, epidermis is an example of parenchyma cells; but
according to origin, it is not because epidermis is derived from the protoderm while
parenchyma is derived from the ground meristem.

Cross Section of Young Dicot Root

★ Pericycle
○ Produces the lateral/secondary root.
★ 4 xylem rays or poles or strands

● Endodermis
○ Controls the passage of minerals across the vascular tissues (water dam).
○ Consist of:
■ Thick walled cells with casparian strips.
■ Passage cell (thin walled)
○ Casparian strips
■ Bands of lignin and suberin (waxy layer) on the radial walls (top, bottom and
side walls) causing the cell was to be water-proof
○ Prevent the leakage of water out of the stele.
 ● Protostele
○ Consist of a solid core of xylem (no pith) in the center of the axis.
○ Primitive/ancient type of stele.

● Vascular cambium
○ Layer between the xylem and the phloem

Variations in the Number of Xylem Strands in Roots

Triarch Tetrarch Pentarch Polyarch

Three xylem poles Four xylem poles Five xylem poles Many xylem poles

Eudicot Eudicot Eudicot Monocot

Protostele Protostele Protostele Siphonostele

★ Polyarch
○ Contains pith.
○ Does not contain a vascular cambium. No secondary growth.
○ Siphonostele
■ A type of stele that is more advanced than Protostele.
■ Can be seen on the stems of non-flowering plants.

Diffusion Paths in Roots

 ● Apoplastic
○ Water and minerals diffuse only through the walls in intercellular spaces. Simple
diffusion.
○ Water will pass through the middle cell walls and will enter the middle of the
endodermis where there are no casparian strips.
○ Simple diffusion.

● Symplastic
○ The material has passed through a plasma membrane and enters the
protoplasm. Osmosis
○ Water will pass through the plasmodesmata of each cell.
○ Osmosis because water moves across a semipermeable membrane.
○ Has a more controlled movement because it involves living cells.

Internal Anatomy of Monocot Root

3 regions
● Dermal
○ Composed of epidermis.
● Cortex
 ○ Collenchyma
○ Parenchyma
○ Endodermis
● Stele or vascular cylinder is called a siphonostele.
○ Pericycle
○ Xylem
■ Always towards the inside.
○ Phloem
■ Always near the cortex.

★ Siphonostele
○ Band vascular tissues surrounding a parenchymatous pith.
○ Present in monocot roots only.
★ Pith
○ Made up of parenchyma cells.
★ Arrangement:
○ Epidermis > Collenchyma > Parenchyma > Endodermis > Pericycle > Phloem >
Xylem > Pith

Origin and Development of Lateral Roots

● Lateral Root/Branch Root/Secondary Root

○ Is initiated by cell divisions in the pericycle.
○ As it pushes outward, it destroys the cells of the cortex and epidermis that lie in
its path, ultimately destroying endodermis.
○ Multicellular and may become woody.
○ Bigger than root hair because root hairs are one-celled epidermal outgrowths.

Internal Structure of Old Dicot Root

● Old dicot root shows two distinct regions:
○ Region of secondary vascular tissues (wood & bark) which include the:
■ secondary phloem (inner bark)
■ vascular cambium
● Structure that separates the wood from the bark
■ secondary xylem (wood)
○ Region of periderm layers (outer bark):
■ phellem or cork (dead due to accumulation of suberin on their wall)
■ phellogen or cork cambium
■ phelloderm or cork parenchyma
 ★ As the root matures, the vascular cambium becomes circular and will start to produce
secondary vascular tissues
★ As more secondary xylem is produced, it will push all the secondary xylem towards
the middle until it is gone.

Modified Roots
- Has specialized structures that give specialized functions to the root system.
● Prop roots
○ For additional support and absorption.
○ Ex.
■ Banyan Tree
● Similar to mangrove.
● Prevent soil erosion.

■ Corn
● For additional support and absorption.

■ Pandan

● Buttresses
○ Expanded roots for great support, the upper side grows faster than the lower side.
○ Present in gymnosperms
● Velamen
○ Found in the roots of orchids for water retention.
○ Consists of multiple layers of dead epidermis.
○ For water absorption and storage in epiphytic orchids.
○ Absorb moisture from the air and store it.

★ Epiphytes
○ Plants that are attached to another plant for support.
○ Above the ground.
● Photosynthetic roots
○ Used for additional photosynthesis.
○ Found at the tip of roots.
● Contractile roots
○ Found in bulbs like onions, gladiolus, garlic for movement.
○ Wrinkled due to the shrinking of the cell’s protoplasm (contract).
○ They pull the bulbs downward (towards the soil)
Contractile Roots of Onion

● Parasitic Roots
○ Do not have chlorophyll. Cannot manufacture their own food.
○ Ex.
■ Mistletoe
■ Haustoria in Culcuta
● For absorption of nutrients.
● Pneumatophores
○ Found in mangroves for gaseous exchange.
○ Sometimes called breathing roots because they have spores on their surface
known as lenticels (gaseous exchange/aeration).
○ Important for support and the place where reproduction of some aquatic animals
happen.

● Enlarged fleshy tap root

○ Do not form wood and bark.
○ Ex. Carrots, ube, tugue, radish, turnips/singkamas.

● Root nodules
○ Are associations between nitrogen fixing bacteria (Rhizobium leguminosarum) and
roots.
○ Give and take relationship.
 ■
Rhizobium leguminosarum fixes atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates to be
absorbed by the plants.
■ Legumes will provide home and nutrients to the bacteria. Prevent
desiccation/drying of the bacteria.
○ Usually present in legumes.
○ Tumor like outgrowths.
○ Ex. Peanuts, sitaw, bataw

● Mycorrhizae
○ Association between a soil fungus and roots.
○ Give and take relationship.
■ Fungal hyphae will absorb minerals and nutrients from the soil (Zn, Mg, K).
■ Roots will provide home and nutrients to the fungi. Prevent desiccation/drying
of the bacteria.

○ 2 kinds:
■ Ectomycorrhizae
● Fungi grow only up to the surface of the roots (epidermis)
■ Endomycorrhizae
● Fungal hyphae/filaments can penetrate the cortex region.
 ● Spiny roots
○ For protection
○ Ex. tugue, rattan and walking palm tree

Roots of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Importance

● Sources of Commercial Starches
○ Ex. Manihot or Cassava/Kamote (Manihot utilissima) and Ipomoea batatas (sweet
potato).
● Starches for Demulcent
○ Protective barrier for skin.
○ Ex. Marshmallow roots – Althea officinalis
● Saponin
○ Used for adaptogen and inflammatory diseases.
○ Anti-stress, stimulates appetite, and enhances sexual activity
○ Ex. Ginseng – Panax ginseng
● Saponin from Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
○ Sweetening, flavoring agent and anti-inflammatory.
○ Believed to be 50x sweeter than sugar.
● Alkaloids from Ipecacuanha
○ Ex. Cephaelis ipecacuanha for amoebic dysentery