Transport in Plants

What you will learn

the structure and functions of root hairs
the absorption of water by plants
the structure and functions of vascular
tissues in roots, stems and leaves of
dicotyledonous herbacous plants
how transpiration pull is related to the
movement of water
the translocation of food
the effects of environmental factors on the
rate of transpiration

Vascular Bundles
Vascular bundles are strands of tissue that carry
water and nutrients within the plant, consisting of
xylem on the inside and phloem on the outside,
separated by a layer of cambium.
epidermis
cortex
phloem
cambium
xylem

pith

Drawing of the transverse section of a young

sunflower stem (a dicotyledonous system).

Xylem

Xylem has 2 functions:

1. Conducting water and dissolved mineral

salts from roots to stems and leaves.
2. Providing mechanical support within the
plant.

2. A xylem consists of many

vessels(long hollow tube) stretching
from the root to the leaf

Xylem
The vessel is a dead structure.
Hollow space(lumen).
Wall is strengthened with
lignin.
Adaptations of xylem vessel to
transport water:
1. Continuous lumen with on
wall or protoplasm to hinder
passage
2. Lignified walls to prevent
collapse of the vessel.

Phloem
Conducts manufactured food (sucrose and
amino acid) from leaves to other parts of the
plant.
Mainly comprise of sieve tube elements and
companion cells

Phloem
Sieve tubes :
single row of elongated, thinwalled living cells.
Perforated sieve plates
separate the cells.
No nucleus, vacuole, thin layer
of cytoplasm
transport of food through these
cells through diffusion and
active transport

Phloem
Each sieve tube has a
companion cell to keep it
alive.
Each companion cell is
narrow, thin-walled with a
lot of cytoplasm and a
nucleus.
Companion cells assist
sieve tubes in the transport
of food.

Compare the structure

of
a root and a stem.

Root hairs: structure & functions

Relate structure & functions to
surface area
water & ion uptake

How is the root hair cell adapted

for the absorption of water and
mineral salts?
1. Long and narrow to increase the surface area
to volume ratio increases the rate of
absorption.
2. Cell sap concentration is higher than that of
the soil water enters root hair cell by
osmosis
3. Root hair cells are alive they respire to
provide energy for active transport so that
minerals can be taken in against concentration
gradient

Roots and Root Hairs

Root hairs :
Tubular outgrowths of epidermal cells of the
root.
Comes into close contact with water
surrounding soil particles.
Increases the surface area of roots, thereby
increases uptake of water and minerals.
Water enters root hair by osmosis.

Entry of water into root hair

By osmosis
when water potential in the root hair is less
than that in soil solution

By active transport
when water potential in the root hair is more
than that in soil solution
energy is needed

OSMOSIS ANIMATION

Entry of mineral salts into root hair

By diffusion
when concentration of mineral salts in root
hair is less than that in soil solution.

By active transport
when concentration of mineral salts in root
hair is more than that in soil solution.
energy is needed
most mineral salts are absorbed this way

Summary: HOW DO ROOTS ABSORB WATER &

IONS?
Diffusion
Rare
Osmosis
Hair long & narrow.
High surface area:
volume ratio
increases absorption
Water enters root hair
cell, from cell to cell
until reaches xylem
Active Transport
Ions eg. Calcium

Pathway of water & mineral salts

in a dicotyledonous root

Most mineral ions are actively transported into the root hairs.

Movement of water (& mineral salts) through

stem
Root pressure
Water passes from the living cells in the root into the
xylem by osmosis

Capillary action
Xylem vessels are narrow capillary tubes.

Transpiration pull
Strongest force that causes water to rise up to the leaves
of tall plants.
Result of evaporation of water from mesophyll cells.
Water molecules are attracted to one another, ensuring a
continuous stream of water in xylem.

Transpiration
The loss of water vapour from the leaves
via the stomata.
Describe how water vapour loss is related
to:
cell surfaces,
air spaces,
stomata

How transpiration takes place

Water leaves xylem vessels in the leaf and forms a
water film on the walls of mesophyll cells. This
water film is for dissolving carbon dioxide for use
during photosynthesis.
Water from film evaporates into the intercellular air
spaces.
Therefore there is a greater concentration of water
molecules inside the leaf than the air outside.
Water vapour diffuses out through the stomata
into the atmosphere.

Demonstration
of transpiration
- potometer

Factors Affecting Transpiration

Temperature
The higher the
temperature, the greater
the evaporation of water
inside the leaf.
This increases the
difference in the
concentration of water
vapour inside and outside
the leaf.

Factors Affecting Transpiration

Air Humidity
When the atmospheric
humidity decreases, the
concentration gradient
increases.
This leads to rapid rates
of transpiration.
On humid days, the
concentration gradient
and the rate of
transpiration decreases.

Factors Affecting Transpiration

Light Intensity
Light intensity affects the size of
stomata.
When light intensity increases,
the guard cells become turgid
and the stomata opens.
When light intensity decreases,
the guard cells become flaccid
and the stomata closes.

Factors Affecting Transpiration

Wind
Air currents increase the rate of transpiration by blowing
away water vapour at the surface of leaves.
This increases the concentration gradient of the water
vapour resulting in an increase in transpiration.

moisture
Rapid transpiration
under windy conditions

moisture
Slow transpiration
in still air

Factors Affecting Transpiration

Wind

Effect of wind on the

rate of transpiration.

The size of the stomatal aperture

affects the rate of transpiration more
in wind than in still air.

Factors Affecting Transpiration

CO2 Concentration
Stomata will open when
the carbon dioxide
concentration in the
intercellular air spaces of
a leaf falls below a critical
concentration.

Advantages of transpiration
Maintains a constant supply of mineral
ions to the leaves.
Brings water to the mesophyll cells for
photosynthesis.
Supplies water to cells for metabolic
processes & turgidity.
Helps cool the leaves.

Translocation of
sucrose in the phloem
Translocation is the
process whereby
sucrose, amino acids
and plant hormones are
transported from 1 part of
the plant (the source) to
another (the sink)
through phloem

Translocation
In the phloem, the direction of flow can be
multi-directional.
Sucrose passes through the sieve plates
between the adjacent sieve tube elements.
This is because translocation takes place
and travel via living cells (sieve tube
elements).

Ringing of the stem

Phloem tissues are removed by cutting
away the bark of a woody plant.
The products of photosynthesis will
accumulate in the bark periphery above the
ring causing the portion to swell.

Aphid Experiment
Aphids are plant parasites that extract cell sap of
plants by piercing the phloem tissues with their
mouthpart
The body of the
aphid is snipped off
leaving the
mouthpart still
sticking to the stem
of the plant
The sap that flows
out through the
aphid mouthpart
contain sugar,
amino acids

Application of radioactive
tracers
Sucrose solution containing
radioactive carbon, C14 is
dropped onto the surface of a
leaf with its cuticle layer
removed.
The branch is left aside, dried
and check for radioactivity.
Results show radioactive
sucrose is distributed
throughout the plant.
But the flow of radioactive
sucrose is held in the bark
containing the phloem tissues
if the stem is ringed.

In root (sink), sucrose is

actively removed from the
adjacent sieve tube
elements
Sucrose is either used for
respiration or converted to
starch
High water potential in
sieve tube elements (near
sink) due to low sucrose
content
Water flows out into the
neighbouring cells (e.g.
xylem vessel) by osmosis