The root is the organ of the plant that grows typically into the soil to extract water and minerals for the plant's nutritional need.
Roots grow depending on physical barriers, quality of the surrounding environment, and soil conditions. Some roots are aerial meaning that they rise above the ground. But most conventional root systems grown into the soil which aside from extracting nutrients, provides a stable anchor for the plant or tree to grow.
The experiment on the International Space Station (ISS) was conducted to determine if gravity is a factor in the growth and spread of plant roots. This was done to verify the long held belief that gravity also affects the way a root spreads into the soil.
The International Space Station is an international collaboration to provide a suitable environment for space experiments. It is 109 meters (357 feet) in length and has a habitable space of 388 cubic meters. Its habitable space is comparable to a five bedroom house. Aside from its high tech instruments, The ISS also has a gym and a 360-degree bay window.
