The cells on the root epidermis are referred to as root hairs, and these hairs encourage and assist with water absorption. The root hairs are lengthy, and they can penetrate between the soil particles inhibiting harmful bacteria organisms from coming into the plants through the xylem vessels.
A root hair is the rhizoid of a vascular plant, and it is a tube-like outgrowth of a trichoblast, a hair forming cell on a plant root's skin. They are horizontal extensions of a single cell and are rarely divided. Plants soak up water from the soil by osmosis. Root hair cells are designed for this by having a large surface area to speed up osmosis. Another variation that they have is a large permanent vacuole.
Root hairs are where most water absorption occurs. Root hairs are long and can thwart harmful bacterial organisms from entering the plant through xylem vessels. Root hair cells are extensions at the tip of the plant's roots. They are located only in the zone of maturation, not the elongation zone, possibly because any hair root hairs that occur are cut off as the root lengthens and moves through the soil.