Through form to function: root hair development and nutrient uptake

Roof hairs project from the surface of the root to aid nutrient and water u ptake and to anchor the plant in the soil, Their formation involves the pre cise control of cell fate and localized cell growth. We are now beginning t o unravel the complexities of the molecular interactions that underlie this developmental regulation. In addition, after years of speculation, nutrien t transport by root hairs has been demonstrated clearly at the physiologica l and molecular level, with evidence for root hairs being intense sites of HC-ATPase activity anti involved in the uptake of Ca2+, K+, NH4+, NO3-, Mn2 +, Zn2+, Cl- and H2PO4-.