Plant Biology and Transplantation

During transplantation, seedlings experience shock because most of the delicate root hairs are lost or damaged in the process of uprooting and replanting. Root hairs are responsible for water and nutrient absorption from the soil. When these are lost, the seedling cannot effectively absorb water and nutrients from the new soil, leading to poor growth or death. Options (a) assumes the new soil is deficient, which is not necessarily true. Option (b) is factually incorrect as root hairs do not 'grip' soil but absorb from it. Option (d) focuses on leaves but the main issue is root damage. > Root hairs are critical for survival during transplantation - their loss is the primary cause of transplant shock and poor seedling establishment. Answer: (c).