Concentration of minerals in the soil is usually `"______"` than the concentration minerals in the root.

Answer

To solve the question regarding the concentration of minerals in the soil compared to the concentration of minerals in the root, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Mineral Concentration**:
- The concentration of minerals refers to the amount of minerals present in a given volume of soil or root tissue.

2. **Soil vs. Root Concentration**:
- In general, minerals in the soil are dissolved in water and are available for absorption by plant roots. However, the concentration of these minerals in the soil is typically lower than that found in the root cells.

3. **Mechanism of Absorption**:
- Roots, particularly through root hair cells, absorb water and minerals from the soil. These root hair cells are specialized structures that increase the surface area for absorption.

4. **Process of Osmosis**:
- Water moves into the root hair cells from the soil through osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of water from an area of lower solute concentration (in the soil) to an area of higher solute concentration (inside the root cells).

5. **Active Transport of Minerals**:
- Minerals are absorbed by root hair cells against their concentration gradient. This means that even though the concentration of minerals is lower in the soil, root cells can take up these minerals actively using energy.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the concentration of minerals in the soil is usually **lower** than the concentration of minerals in the root.

### Final Answer:
The concentration of minerals in the soil is usually **lower** than the concentration of minerals in the root.

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