Question

Which of the following parts of a plant absorbs water from the soil?
A. Stem
B. Root hairs
C. Leaves
D. All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Water is essential for the plant to grow and the flow of water always occurs in upward direction and by the process of absorption.

Complete answer:
Plants have roots that are found inside the soil in the ground. Roots pull the water and minerals from the soil. Plants absorb water from the soil by the process of Osmosis. They absorb mineral ions by the process of active transport against the concentration gradient. Water gets pulled by the roots due to the negative water potential in the root cells.
In lower plants, the water absorption takes place by the process of osmosis, while in higher plants, it is by the root hairs. Plants mainly absorb the capillary water from the soil.
Roots help to anchor the plant in the soil medium so that it does not fall down, that is, to maintain the stability of the plant. They also store food for the future so that they can bind with the soil tightly.
Water from soil enters the root region in the root hairs, by moving along the potential gradient and into the xylem via the apoplast or the symplast pathway. By the process of transpiration, the water is carried upward by the xylem and then passed into the leaves along another water potential gradient.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B). Root hairs.

Note:
Plants can also absorb water through the leaves, but it is not considered as an efficient way because when the water gets condensed in the leaves then only it can be absorbed from leaves otherwise no. If water condenses on the leaves during high humidity, such as fog, mist, then the plants absorb the water from the surface of the leaves. Otherwise, the bulk of water is uptake via root hairs by most of the plants.