Root Hair Cells Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

What is a root hair cell?

A cell on the outside of a root with a long, thin hair-like extension that absorbs water and mineral ions from the soil.

Which feature of a root hair cell gives it a large surface area?

Its long, thin hair-like extension into the soil, which speeds up absorption of water and mineral ions.

Why does a root hair cell have a thin cell wall and membrane?

It gives a short distance for water and mineral ions to cross, so they are absorbed faster.

By which process does water enter a root hair cell?

Osmosis — from the dilute soil solution into the more concentrated cell.

By which process do mineral ions enter a root hair cell from dilute soil?

Active transport — against the concentration gradient, using energy from respiration.

True or false? Root hair cells contain many chloroplasts.

False. They are underground with no light, so they have no chloroplasts (they have many mitochondria instead).