In angiosperms, root hairs arise from which one of the following regions of the root ?

The correct answer is: The region of maturation.

Angiosperm roots can be divided into four functional zones from the tip upward:

1. Root cap zone – protects the tip and senses gravity; contains dead cells that do not divide.

2. Region of meristematic activity – also called the apical meristem; cells are actively dividing but have not begun to elongate.

3. Region of elongation – newly formed cells increase in length dramatically, contributing to root growth.

4. Region of maturation (or differentiation) – cells cease elongation, acquire specialized functions, and mature into various tissue types.

Root hairs are outgrowths of epidermal cells that increase the absorptive surface area. These hairs appear only after the epidermal cells have completed elongation and begin to differentiate, which occurs in the region of maturation. In this zone, the cells develop the necessary machinery (e.g., cell wall loosening enzymes) to produce the tubular extensions that become root hairs.

Therefore, among the given options, root hairs arise from the region of maturation of the root.