Question

How do small intestinal epithelial and root hair cells function in nutrient procurement?

Answer 1

Villi are hair-like structures covered with epithelial cells measuring 1.5 mm that line the mucous inner membrane of the small intestine. The epithelial cells of the villi contain microvilli and are responsible for the absorption of nutrients. Being so small and numerous, they effectively increase the absorptive surface area of the small intestine. When the surface area increases, this is the time they absorb the nutrients. As for plants' root hair cells, they receive nutrients through osmosis. Root hair cells are adapted for this by having a large surface area to speed up osmosis. The absorbed water and minerals are transported through the roots to the rest of the plant where it is used for different purposes: It is a reactant used in photosynthesis. As we can see, both of them utilize increasing their surface area.