Roots are the leafless part of plants that is used to take up water and nutrient and to provide physical anchoring of the plant. Roots are usually located below-ground and do not create organic nutrients using photosynthesis themselves, but are dependent on the above-ground green parts of the plant to transport the nutrients through the phloem to the roots. Roots sense gravitational force and grow in the right direction using specialized cells that are located in the root cap.