Root Water Uptake Science Project Idea

How Roots are Especially Fitted to Take in Moisture

You have probably noticed that even though the greatest care can be taken to prevent injury to the roots, a plant is apt to wither and be checked in its growth when transplanted (planted again after having been removed from soil in which it has been growing). This might lead us to suspect that there are special structures on the roots which are injured in the process of transplanting.

Growing roots in such a way that they can be examined without being disturbed may help us to find out if roots possess any special structures.

Plant Root Science Project Experiment

Place some radish seeds or other small seeds between a moist blotter and the bottom of a Petri dish or the inside of a test tube. Keep in a warm place and examine after three or four days. What do you find?

The small hair-like structures which you see on the young root are called root hairs. Their structure, as you will see from the diagram, is very simple. Each hair consists of a delicate wall inclosing a thin layer of the living matter of the plant and some watery material called cell-sap. It will be noticed that the root hair is only the extension of one of the little boxes containing living matter (cells) of which the young root is composed. Of what advantage are these root hairs?