What are the main functions of the trichomes found in the shoot system of plants?
What are the main functions of the trichomes found in the shoot system of plants?
To absorb water and minerals from the soil
To prevent water loss due to transpiration
To provide structural support for the plant
To produce and secrete substances for the plant
Solution
The trichomes found in the shoot system of plants are usually multicellular and can be branched or unbranched, soft or stiff. They help in preventing water loss due to transpiration by reducing the surface area of the plant exposed to the air. They may also be secretory, producing and secreting substances for the plant, but this is not their main function. Root hairs, on the other hand, are unicellular elongations of the epidermal cells and help absorb water and minerals from the soil.