| Present in |
· Fungi
· Mosses
· Some non-vascular plants |
· All vascular plants (higher plants) |
| Structure |
Single-celled or multicellular, hair-like structures |
Multicellular structures with various tissues such as epidermis, cortex, endodermis, etc. |
| Function |
Anchoring the organism to a substrate, and absorbing water and nutrients |
Anchoring the plant in the soil, absorbing water and nutrients, storing reserves |
| Mode of attachment |
Attachment is by adhesion to the substrate |
Attachment is often by penetration into the soil |
| Origin of development |
Develop from the gametophyte in non-vascular plants or mycelium in fungi |
Develop from the radicle (embryonic root) during seed germination in vascular plants |
| Mode of absorption |
Absorb water and nutrients mainly through surface contact |
Absorb water and nutrients through root hairs, aided by mycorrhizal associations |
| Growth |
Typically grow continually throughout the organism’s life |
Primary and secondary growth contribute to the growth of roots |
