root nodule

noun

1. a swelling on the root of a leguminous plant, such as the pea or clover, that contains bacteria of the genus Rhizobium , capable of nitrogen fixation

Example Sentences

This significant discovery brings us one step closer to potentially engineering non-legume cereal crops like wheat, rice and maize to develop root nodule organs to host nitrogen fixing bacteria and reduce our reliance on industrial nitrogen fertilisers produced via the energy consuming Haber Bosch Process.

From Science Daily

While symbiotic root nodules are specialised structures that are induced in response to nitrogen fixing soil bacteria in the roots of legumes, the researchers found a re-networking of pre-existing developmental pathways with conserved functions observed in above-ground shoot organs of both legume and non-legume plants was involved in conferring root nodule identity.

From Science Daily

Legumes and actinorhizal species are capable of forming a specialized organ, the root nodule, a highly differentiated structure hosting nitrogen-fixing symbionts.

From Nature