Explain the functions and adaptations of root hairs in plants, and identify substances transported to and from leaves.

Study Question 1:

a) The substances absorbed by the roots and transported to the rest of the plant body are water and mineral salts.

b) A substance transported from leaves to the rest of the plant body is sugars (dissolved food substances).

Study Question 2:

a) Root hairs are adapted to their functions in the following ways:

• They have a large surface area due to their numerous, fine extensions, which maximizes the absorption of water and mineral salts from the soil.
• They possess thin cell walls and a partially permeable membrane, allowing for efficient diffusion and osmosis of substances.
• They maintain a higher concentration of solutes in their cytoplasm than the soil water, creating a water potential gradient that facilitates water uptake by osmosis.

b) I am an AI and cannot make a drawing. You would need to perform the practical activity and draw your observations of the root hairs.