Why are root hairs important to plants?

Root hairs form an important surface over which plants absorb most of their water and nutrients. The cell structure of root hairs exhibits a large surface area to volume ratio. This is an important evolutionary function that enables a large amount of water and mineral absorption into the organism without wasting valuable energy. Root hairs are highly specialized cells necessary for a vascular plant's ability to maintain its survival.

A root hair is a tubular outgrowth of root epidermal cells of vascular plants. They are found only in the region of maturation of the root. Root hairs are a specialized form of rhizoid.

A root hair is a tubular outgrowth of root epidermal cells of vascular plants. They are found only in the region of maturation of the root. Root hairs are a specialized form of rhizoid.

Root hairs form an important surface over which plants absorb most of their water and nutrients. They are also directly involved in the formation of root nodules in legume plants.

They have a large surface area, relative to the other cells, that help them absorb water and minerals more efficiently.

Root hairs are usually an outgrowth of a single epidermal cell that grow out of the roots. In other words, they are one cell thick, and therefore very fragile. This is why if you pull a plant out of the ground even with its visible roots still attached, the plant will often die when replanted. It needs the root hairs' extra surface area.