Lesson 5 of 6

Water and minerals from roots

Goal: Describe how roots take in water and minerals.

Puzzles for this lesson

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Three radish seedlings lying on damp paper. Each root has a fuzzy coat of fine white root hairs

Roots hold a plant in the soil. They also take in the water and minerals that the plant needs.

A drawing of a root hair cell. One long, thin part of the cell reaches out between bits of soil
A root hair cell. Its long, thin hair gives it a large surface area, so it takes in water quickly.
  • Water travels up the stem to the leaves, in tubes called xylem vessels. Minerals travel with it, dissolved in the water.
  • Most of the water leaves again. It passes out of the leaves through the stomata, as water vapour. This is called transpiration.
  • Minerals are not food. A plant needs small amounts of them to stay healthy. Nitrates are needed to make proteins, for growth. Magnesium is needed to make chlorophyll.

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Key words in this lesson

Chlorophyll The green substance that absorbs light

Stomata Tiny pores in a leaf that let gases in and out

Root hair cell A root cell with a large surface area for taking in water

Xylem Tubes that carry water up from the roots

Nitrates Minerals a plant needs to make proteins for growth

Magnesium The mineral a plant needs to make chlorophyll

For teachers: AQA 3.9.4 · Pearson Edexcel 7.1, 7.3 · Cambridge 9Bp.05, 9Bs.01