CHAPTER II 



THE ROOT 



WE have already seen that the first thing to make its 

 appearance when a seed germinates is the root. This 

 is at first usually white and tender, but as it grows older 

 often becomes hard and woody, and covered with a 

 brown bark. The root may also increase in thickness 

 to a very considerable size. 



If very young roots are examined they will be 

 found to be clothed with fine down or hairs near their 

 extremities. Owing however to the very delicate 

 character of these fine hairs- it is not always easy to see 

 them, for they are injured if the root is at all roughly 

 dealt with. These hairs may be seen to great advantage 

 on the roots of seedlings of barley, Indian corn, etc., 

 which have been grown in a moist atmosphere. On 

 examining such a root it will be noticed that the tip 

 and the portion immediately behind it is quite bare and 

 smooth ; this, as we shall see later, is the growing 

 region. Then follows a downy-looking portion, the 

 character of which is due to the presence of large 

 numbers of minute root-hairs ; this is the absorbing 

 region. The older portions of the root, like the youngest 



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