Question
Part of being a scientist, is to use the information you already know to figure out questions that haven't been answered yet. Use your knowledge of plant anatomy structure/function to address the following problem. Observation: A scientist exposes several young plant saplings to UV radiation and then grows the plants to maturity (formation of mature photosynthetic machinery in the stem system). During the growth period, she notices that the mutated plants don't grow as well as the normal plants (a control set that she didn't expose to the radiation). For example, the leaves often appear wilted in the afternoon sun, and they are often discolored (a sign of some type of nutrient deficiency). Upon closer inspection, she discovers that the epidermal root hairs are covered with a thin waxy cuticle. Although it is not a thick as that found in the stem system, it is none the-less present. Use your knowledge in plant physiology to address the following three questions. Your explanation should thoroughly discuss/propose why the appearance of a thin cuticle in the root system would result in the observed changes to the mutated plants. What is the purpose of the cuticle and where is it normally found? What function would the waxy cuticle serve in the root system? What affect would it have on nutrient absorption? Explain your rationale. In scientific fashion, use your knowledge of plant physiology to explain why the presence of the cuticle in the root system might be linked to the observations made by the scientist. Explain your rationale.
Explanation / Answer
1) The cuticle is layer around the epidermal cells of leaves, young shoots and aerial parts without periderm. It is a waxy structure that is even impermiable to the water ,so that plant could prevent the water loss from it's aerial parts.
2) As in other parts ,the cutilce would cover the epidermal cells in the roots also and it would hinder the absorption of water and minerals because it is a waxy layer that doesnt allow the passage of water and minerals as well because of being hydrophobic in the nature.
3) As from the mutation she observed the cuticle in the plant roots the absorption of water is hindered and as water is necessary to make glucose, the plant wont't have much nutrient and would start to wilter.
Because of the cuticle the minearls are not properly absorbed and minerals are necessary for the coloration of the leaves.
