As much as what percentage of water taken in by roots is lost through transpiration?

Transpiration is a crucial process in plants where water is evaporated from the plant's surface, primarily through small openings called stomata. The correct choice, indicating that 90-99% of water taken in by roots can be lost through transpiration, highlights the significant role this process plays in a plant's water management system.

This high percentage reflects the efficiency with which plants utilize water; a great majority of the water absorbed by the roots is indeed used for transpiration. Transpiration helps in several ways, including nutrient transport, temperature regulation, and maintaining turgor pressure within cells. While some water is used directly for growth and metabolic functions, the overwhelming majority is lost to the atmosphere. This explains why the correct answer represents such a large proportion of the total water uptake by roots. It emphasizes the vital nature of this mechanism in plant biology, particularly in relation to their environmental adaptations and physiological processes.