Explain how the root hair cell uses active transport to take up the ions

Root hair cells in plant roots use active transport to absorb mineral ions (such as nitrates) from the soil - even though there are lower concentrations of minerals in the soil than there are within the root hair cell. They absorb minerals dissolved in solution from the soil through their root hair cells. Minerals cannot be absorbed by osmosis because this is the movement of water only. The root hair cells have carrier molecules on their cell membranes.

Active transport is a kind of method of how molecules get transported from a region of low concentration to a region of high concentration. Unlike diffusion or osmosis, they travel against the concentration gradient.

So in order to make active transport work in root hair cells, there's something called protein carriers. They can change shapes and take mineral ions from the soil and bring them to the other side, the lower ion concentration side, which is the cytoplasm, but without letting the ions already in the cytoplasm from diffusing out. In that way, the ions absorbed can be transported to where the plant needs it.

In addition, active transport also requires extra energy to bring the molecules against the gradient. Therefore, extra energy is supplied by the process of respiration of plants. Where oxygen and glucose will be changed to carbon dioxide, water, and energy.