Question

concentration of mineral nutrient elements is higher inside the root hairs than in surrounding soil. how do roots take them in from soil

Answer 1

Yes, that is indeed true. In such cases, where minerals need to be transported from a region of lower concentration to one of higher concentration, a method of transportation called active transportation is used (contrary to passive transportation). Here, energy is spent for the transport of minerals from the soil to the inside of the cells of the root hair, across the cell membrane. Proteins called carrier proteins are used for transport.