The cortical cell absorbs water from the root hair cell because ___.

Water always moves from a region of lower Diffusion Pressure Deficit (DPD) to a region of higher DPD.

For water to move from the root hair cell into the cortical cell, the cortical cell must have a higher DPD than the root hair cell.

Additionally, the Osmotic Pressure (O.P.) of the inner cells (cortical cells) is maintained at a higher level compared to the outer cells (root hair cells) to establish and maintain this DPD gradient, since $DPD = O.P. - T.P.$

Therefore, the cortical cell absorbs water from the root hair cell because it has more O.P. and more DPD.

Answer: The cortical cell has more O.P. and more DPD than that of the root hair cell.