NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A mycorrhiza is a mutualistic relationship between a fungus and a plant. The fungus grows in or on the plant roots. The fungus benefits from the easy access to food made by the plant. The plant benefits because the fungus puts out mycelia that help absorb water and nutrients.

Detailed explanation-2: -Mycorrhizae are symbiotic relationships that form between fungi and plants. The fungi colonize the root system of a host plant, providing increased water and nutrient absorption capabilities while the plant provides the fungus with carbohydrates formed from photosynthesis.

Detailed explanation-3: -The associations between roots and fungi are called mycorrhizae. These symbiotic arrangements have been found in about 90% of all land plants, and have been around for approximately 400 million years. Plant roots are hospitable sites for the fungi to anchor and produce their threads (hyphae).

Detailed explanation-4: -The fungi form a network in the soil and provide the plant with soil minerals, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. In return, the fungi receive sugars from the plant. This cooperation between plants and fungi is crucial for plant growth, including of many crops.

Detailed explanation-5: -Almost all vascular plants have a relationship with a fungus in their roots that allow them to obtain nutrients from the soil. This relationship is symbiotic, since the mycorrhizal fungi also benefit from it. It is so important that most plant species would not be able survive without it.