Root plant to fuel the process. In return, the plant takes nitrogen compounds produced from ammonia by the bacteria. The term root crops refers to any edible underground plant structure, but many root crops are actually stems, such as potato tubers. Edible roots include cassava, sweet potato, beet, carrot, rutabaga, turnip, parsnip, radish, yam and horseradish. Spices obtained from roots include sassafras, angelica, sarsaparilla and licorice. Sugar beet is an important source of sugar. Yam roots are a source of estrogen compounds used in birth control pills. The fish poison and insecticide rotenone is obtained from roots of "Lonchocarpus" spp. Important
Root mucilage amino acids, which are the building blocks of life. This collective secretion is known as root exudate. This root exudate prevents root infection from bacteria and fungi, helps the roots to penetrate through the soil, and can create a micro-climate that is beneficial to the plant. To determine the sugars within root mucilage, monosaccharide analysis and monosaccharide linkage analysis are undertaken. Monosaccharide linkage analysis involves methylating the root mucilage, which contains polysaccharides. The root mucilage is hydrolysed using acid to break down the polysaccharides into their monosaccharide components. The subsistent monosaccharides are then reduced to open their rings. The open