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PLANT
TRANSPORT

Learning outcome
b) Define the term transpiration and explain why it
is an inevitable consequence of gaseous
exchange

Transpiration
It is an important process
Driving force of water movement in the plants
Water transport pathway takes place in the roots,
stem and leaves.
Sets the water potential gradient across the plant
(bottom to top)
The importance demands us to know more about
the notion of transpiration
Gaseous exchange
Factors affecting transpiration
Experiment pertaining the rate of transpiration

Transpiration
Definition
Loss of water vapour from the surfaces of the leaf,
particularly the stoma

Transpiration
Why transpiration is the driving force of water
movement in a plant?

1) Water loss from the

leaves kept the leaves dry
2) So more water enter the
leaves from the stem
(vessels)
3) The stem will eventually
get drier
4) So more water enter the
stem from the root tissues
5) And the roots will get
drier, thus creates steep
water potential gradient
that will drive more water
to diffuse into the root cells
from the soil via osmosis.

Transpiration
Explain how the mechanisms of transpiration
becomes the inevitable consequence of gaseous
exchange?

Transpiration
Gasses e.g. CO2 and O2
are often exchanged in the
leaves because of
photosynthesis.
Photosynthetic cells
require CO2 to make
sugars while other
respiring cells require O2
to make ATP.

Transpiration

Transpiration
Mechanisms of transpiration
Evaporation happens in the cell wall (forms
water vapour)
Water pathway in the leaves begins when water
exits the vessels and enters the mesophyll cells.
Symplast and apoplast pathway involved.
Water vapour diffuse through the stoma into the
environment when the stoma opens.
Q how does the stoma opens?

Transpiration
How does the stoma opens?

Microfibril to prevent
elongation of the cell

Thick inner cell wall to

prevent sideway
expansion
So stoma opens

Light activates proton pump proton pump actively pumps

H+ out of the cell K+ enters to balance the neutrality
water potential in the cell decreases water enters via
osmosis = turgid cell

Transpiration
Finally how is transpiration an inevitable
consequence of gaseous exchange

CO2 needed for photosynthesis

When the stoma opens
Large surface area of mesophyll cell
Moist surface of mesophyll cell

Transpiration
What are factors affecting transpiration?

Light -- ?
Wind -- ?
Temperature -- ?
Humidity -- ?

*You must be able to explain why these can affect

the rate of transpiration*

Learning outcome
d) Describe how to investigate experimentally the
factors that affect transpiration rate

Transpiration
Potometer is used to measure
the rate of transpiration
Q What is the assumption
made when this apparatus is
used?
Q Why this apparatus
cannot measure the actual
transpiration rate of an actual
plant?
Q What are the precautions
taken while carrying out this
experiment?

Learning outcome
d) e) and f) will be covered in the practical.

Learning outcome
g) Explain the movement of water between plant
cells, and between them and their environment, in
terms of water potential (no calculations involving
water potential will be set);

Osmosis between cells and

environment / cell-to-cell

Answer the following True/False

1) Water enter the cell
2) Water leave the cell
3) Net movement of water is from the cell to
surrounding solution

Learning outcome
h) Describe the pathways and explain the
mechanisms by which water is transported from
soil to xylem and from roots to leaves

Root pressure
Caused by active transport of ions into root cells,
especially ones near the xylem.
Water gets drawn naturally into the xylem via
osmosis.
But first water must get into the root tissues via
osmosis from the soil.
This will cause the root cortex to be very turgid.
This creates a pressure that pushes water up
the xylem vessels. This is called root pressure

Root pressure

Root pressure
Water must diffuse from one cell to another in
the root cortex.
This refers back to symplast and apoplast.
Apoplast pathway must be stopped.
This pathway is unrestricted and whatever water
carries along might end up taken by the xylem
The Casparian strip within the endodermis cell
layer functions to block apoplast pathway
because it has suberin, a highly impermeable
water substance.

Cohesion-Adhesion Force

Mass flow of water

Hydrogen bond
Continuous column
Water sticking onto plant surfaces
Movement due to difference in hydrostatic
pressure
Against gravity

Learning outcome
i) Outline the roles of nitrate ions and magnesium
ions in plants.

Nitrate ions synthesis of amino acids, proteins

(for growth of vegetative tissues) and nucleic acids
(Cell Division or Cellular/Tissue Repair)
Magnesium ions synthesis of chlorophyll (light
dependent reaction of photosynthesis)

Learning outcome
j) Describe how the leaves of xerophytic plants are
adapted to reduce water loss by transpiration

Learning outcome
k) Explain translocation as an energy requiring
process transporting assimilates, especially
sucrose, between the leaves (sources) and other
parts of the plant (sinks)
l) Explain the translocation of sucrose using the
mass flow hypothesis

Translocation
Movement of sugar in phloem is bidirectional,
whereas water in xylem is unidirectional.
In phloem, most common transported sugars are
non-reducing sugars, such as sucrose. Why
sucrose? It is because not only it is soluble but it
is also less reactive to the cells compared to
other sugars, e.g. glucose.

Translocation the mass flow model

Source Any exporting region that produces
sugars above and beyond its own needs. E.g.
leaves, mesophyll cells.
Sink Any area that does not produce enough
sugar to meet its own needs. E.g. fruit, roots

Translocation Active loading of

sucrose
The loading of sucrose into the sieve tube
element is an active transport
This requires the active proton pump and a
secondary co-transport.
The companion cells are required because the
STE themselves lack the nuclear ability to
provide necessities for the transport.

Phloem loading uses a

proton/sucrose cotransport protein.

Mass-flow

Phloem loading leads to

a buildup of sugars (the
phloem cells becomes
very negative in water
potential)

In response, water enters

sieve elements from
xylem via osmosis

Thus phloem turgor

pressure increases

Mass flow

In sink tissue

Phloem unloading leads to

lower sugar concentration
(the phloem cells become
hypotonic)

Water leaves the phloem

and enters sink sieve
elements and xylem (via
osmosis)

Thus phloem turgor

pressure decreases

Phloem solution moves along a gradient of

hydrostatic pressure generated by a flow of water
between source and sink ends of the pathway

Fig. 10.10

Translocation at sink
Unloading of sucrose is also an active process
Water diffuse out of the STE and turgor pressure
decreases.