Why is a rhizoid not considered a true root?

Question

A.  Rhizoids lack the capacity to anchor mosses into the substrate.
B.  Rhizoids are not capable of absorbing water.
C.  True roots have mycorrhizal fungi.
D.  Rhizoids lack xylem tissue.
E.  Only true roots are capable of nitrogen fixation.

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
 
Gather Content
What do you already know about true roots and rhizoids? What other information is related to the question?

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
 
Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

D.  Rhizoids lack xylem tissue.

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        · The concept addressed here is the nature of a true root.
What type of thinking is required?
        · This question is asking you to compare and contrast rhizoids with true roots, making it an evaluate-level question.
 
Gather Content
What do you already know about true roots and rhizoids? What other information is related to the question?
        · Rhizoids are root-like structures in that they anchor the mosses and other plants that possess them.
        · While roots are multicellular tissues, rhizoids are unicellular and therefore are not tissues.
        · Roots contain vascular tissue.
        · Unlike roots, rhizoids lack vascular tissue.
 
Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        · Rhizoids do anchor mosses to the substrate.
        · Although they do not have vascular tissue, rhizoids can conduct water.
        · Roots do not fix nitrogen; it is the symbiotic bacteria associated with roots that fix nitrogen.
        · Since true toots have vascular tissue, and vascular tissue is contains xylem, if a plant lacks xylem, it stands to reason that it does not have true roots.
 
Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
       · Answering this question correctly depended on your ability to weigh and judge, or evaluate, true roots and rhizoids. If you got an incorrect answer, did you remember that rhizoids differ from true roots by lacking vascular tissue, or the criteria to compare rhizoids and true roots includes the shared function of anchoring the plant? Did you have trouble weighing the merits of rhizoids relative to true roots to determine the correct answer?