Question

What are the functions of monocot root?

Answer 1

Roots in plants are the parts of the plants that grow under the soil or ground level. The main function of root is to provide anchorage and support to the parts of the plant growing above the ground level. The roots are a necessary part of the plant as they absorb water and minerals from the soil and it reaches to different parts of the plant.

Complete answer:
The roots of a plant are an important organ associated with the absorption and movement of water molecules and mineral ions to different parts of the plants. The materials absorbed by the roots are important in the sense that these elements are associated with different processes occurring in the cells of the plants. The plants have special types of conduction systems which helps the root to supply water and minerals from the soil.
Monocots or monocotyledons plants are flowering angiosperms and consist of only one cotyledon or embryonic leaf in the seed. The monocots include plants represented by species such as grasses, cereals such as maize etc. and sedges. The monocots roots bear certain types of modification as compared to other types of roots.
In the monocot, the primary root does not contain cambium. The absence of cambium limits the ability of the root to grow sufficiently so as to maintain the growth of the plant. The monocots also bear specialized structures in addition to the roots. These structures are known as runners and rhizomes. The runners serve as medium vegetative propagation and bear elongated internodes. The runners move over the surface or just below the surface of the soil.
The epiblema present in the monocot roots bear no stomata but it contains several epidermal root hairs. The root hairs and the thin walls of the epidermal cells take part in the absorption of water and minerals from the soil. Velamen tissues present in the roots help to check excessive water loss from the cortex. The monocot roots usually do not contain passage cells. They contain casparian stripes which allows the endodermis to form a tight jacket around the vascular tissues. This creates a type of biological barrier and it helps to regulate the flow of water. The regulation of inward and outward water flow and minerals helps to prevent the diffusion of air into the xylem elements.

Additional Information:
Owing to lack of vascular cambium, the roots of monocots cannot grow in diameter. Instead, they grow more roots in the shoot (radicle) and send out spreading shoots called runners or rhizomes. Coleorhiza is a strong sheath of tissue present at the end of each root that protects it as it passes through the soil. A structure called a coleoptile epiblema and has the same role earlier in root development. This fibrous root system, which originates from areas of a plant other than established roots, is considered an adventitious root system.
The cortex of parenchyma cells in the center of the monocot roots is composed of xylem and phloem (the vascular band). The outer layer of the root is called the epidermis, followed by the exodermis or sclerenchyma. The endodermis is an inner layer of cells that covers the vascular bundle. The endodermis and the phloem are divided by a layer of cells called the pericycle where root branching occurs.

Note: The monocot roots play the same role as any other plant roots in absorption of water and minerals. Also in some plants, modified roots with permanent structural changes in root can be found which perform specialized functions. Roots in monocots are especially modified to reduce the loss of water and diffusion of air into the xylem vessel. The monocots also bear certain modified structures present along with the roots which are known as rhizomes and runners.