Do plants take in oxygen from soil?

The primary way plants use oxygen is through their root cells. In order for a plant to take up water and nutrients from the soil, it must continually grow new root hairs. The cells that make up these hairs are living cells that do not carry out photosynthesis. They are similar to the cells of animals in that they require oxygen and give off carbon dioxide as they burn carbohydrates to obtain the energy they need to function. This is why you can "drown" a house plant by watering it too much. If the soil gets too saturated with water, the plants root cells can't get enough oxygen from the air.