Question

Differentiate between two types of absorption of minerals from soil through roots.

Answer 1

One occurs when the roots of a plant absorb water by their own attempt. On the other hand, other types of root hair cells remain passive during absorption of water.

Complete Answer:
Absorption of water in plants is a phenomenon of soaking up the capillary water by the plant’s root hairs from the soil to the xylem part of the root by many methods like transpiration, respiration and osmosis.

The phenomenon of absorption of water and minerals is two types -
(i) Active Absorption – It is absorbed when the plant’s cells sap up and take a huge amount of minerals ion to the concentration gradient. It is called active absorption because it needs utilization of metabolic energy.

(ii) Passive Absorption – This absorption occurs when the concentration of minerals is higher in the external solution than the cell sap present in the root cells. The minerals absorbed as per the concentration gradient by the diffusion process, this is known as passive absorption of minerals as it does not need utilization of metabolic energy.

Sl.No	Active absorption	Passive absorption
1.	Active absorption of water used metabolic energy.	Passive absorption used solar energy.
2.	It includes symplast (protoplast) movement of water.	It includes apoplast (nonliving part) via free spaces.

Note: Thus, water absorption in plants is via the root hairs that bear water found in the soil and develops a region called as “Root hair zone”. The root hairs take up water via their wall which is “Hydrophilic” in nature. So, because of the high penetration of root hairs to the water will support in water absorption either via osmosis or transpiration.