PLANT PHYSIOLOGY

CLASS- XII

Presented by:
Indira Devi shrestha
September 16, 2020

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 Ascent of Sap
The upward movement of sap, the absorbed water and minerals, from the root to the
top of the plant is called as ascent of sap or often called as translocation of sap.

Ascent of sap can be studied under the following two heading;

(A) Path of Ascent of Sap, and
(B) Mechanism of Ascent of Sap.
(A) Path of Ascent of Sap:
It is well established that the ascent of sap takes place through xylem ,in xylem
tracheids and vessels are two elements through which ascent of sap takes
place.

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Demonstration of Path of Ascent of sap
Requirements ( apparatus and materials)

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Chemical requirements

Theory:

The upward movement of sap, the absorbed water and minerals, from the
root to the top of the plant is called as ascent of sap or often called as
translocation of sap
The ascent of sap takes place through xylem ,in xylem tracheids and
vessels are two elements through which ascent of sap takes place.
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Procedure:

Balsam plant and eosine dye experiment

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Procedure:
A leafy twig of balsam plant (it has semi- transparent stem) is cut
under water (to avoid entry of air-bubbles through the cut end) and
placed in a beaker containing water with some eosin (a dye) dissolved
in it.
Observation:
After sometime coloured lines will be seen moving upward in the
stem. The veins of white petals also start to change into red.

If sections of stem are cut at this time, only the xylem elements will
appear to be filled with coloured water

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Result and conclusion:
• The red colour lines are due to ascent of eosine solution from the
beaker to the top of the plant.
• The presence of red solution in xylem vessels confirms xylem is
the pathway for ascent of sap.
Precautions:
1. Twig should be cut under water.
2. Apparatus should be handled carefully.

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 Mechanism of Ascent of Sap
In small trees and herbaceous plants the ascent of sap can be
explained easily,
But, in tall trees like Australian Eucalyptus, some conifers such as
mighty Sequoias (Sequoia, Sequoia Dendron, sometimes reaching a
height of 300-400′) where the water has to rise up to the height of several
hundred feet, the ascent of sap, in fact, becomes a problem. Although the
mechanism of ascent of sap is not well understood, a number of theories
have been put forward to explain it.

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 Theories of Ascent of SAP:
A. Vital Theories:
B. Root Pressure Theory:
C. Physical Force Theories:

Vital Theories:
According to these theories the forces required for ascent of sap are generated
in living cells of plant. some of the important vital force theories are
1. Westermaeir Theory (1883):
According to this theory , ascent of sap takes place through xylem
parenchyma, the tracheids and vessels simply act as water
reservoir.

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2. GODLEWSKI RELAY PUMP THEORY
According to Godlewski (1884) ascent of sap
takes place due to rhythmic change in the osmotic
pressure of living cells of xylem parenchyma and
medullary ray.
When their O.P. becomes high they draw
water from the lower vessel and their O.P.
becomes low. Now due to the low O.P., water
from the cells of xylem parenchyma is pumped
into the above vessel.
This process is repeated again and again and
water rises upward in the xylem.

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 These theories seemed only hypothetical, and was
further discarded by the experiments of Strasburger. (1891,
1893) who demonstrated that ascent of sap continues
even in the stems in which living cells have been killed by
the uptake of poisons.
Pumping action of living cells should be in between
two xylem elements and not on lateral sides.

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3. Pulsation Theory:
According to Bose (1923) upward translocation of water takes place due to
the pulsatory activity of living cells of inner most cortical layer just outside the
endodermis.
This theory was also rejected because many workers could not repeat
his experiment and many others found no correlation between pulsatory activity
and the ascent of sap
B. Root Pressure Theory:
It was proposed by Pristley & Supported by Stephan Hales.
Root pressure is a sort of hydrostatic pressure developed in the root cells due
to accumulation of absorbed water when the rate of active absorption of
water is greater than the rate of transpiration . As a result of this pressure the
water is forced into the xylem vessels and through them upwards into the
stem upto certain height.
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Objections:
1. Root pressure is absent in woody plants, as secondary growth occurs is wood
plant roots.
2. When root pressure is high, during night, then ascent of sap is low.
3. Magnitude of root pressure is very low (about 2 atms).
4. Even in the absence of root pressure, absent of sap continues. For example,
when a leafy twig is cut under water and placed in a beaker full of water it
remains fresh and green for sufficient long time.
5. In gymnosperms root pressure has rarely been observed which include some of
the tallest trees in the world.

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Demonstration of root pressure.
Material required :
A potted plant, knife, rubber tube, glass tube,
coloured water, manometer.
Theory:
Root pressure is a sort of hydrostatic pressure
developed in the root cells due to accumulation of
absorbed water when the rate of active absorption
of water is greater than the rate of transpiration .
As a result of this pressure the water is forced into
the xylem vessels and through them upwards into
the stem upto certain height

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Procedure:
Water the herbaceous plants and keep it for some time. Then cut off the upper part
of the stem and attach a narrow glass tube on it. Fill the glass tube with coloured water.
Mark the level of water and connect a manometer to the glass tube. Record your
observations after some time.
Observations:
The colour water rises in level and the manometer shows the root pressure by the increase
in mercury level.
Conclusion:
The water level increases as a result of root presure. The root pressure is of a small
magnitude as shown by the manometer.
Precautions:
1. Plant should be well watered but should not be over flooded.
2. Plant should be vigorously growing eg, Tomota

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C. Physical Force Theories:
Various physical forces may be involved in the ascent of
sap:—
(1) Atmospheric Pressure Theory:
According to this theory , a vacuum is created at the transpiring surface due to
the loss of water. So water rises up in the stem due to the atmospheric
pressure.
But, This does not seem to be convincing because:
(i) It cannot act on water present in xylem in roots,
(ii) In case it is working, then also it will not be able to raise water
beyond 10.3meter.
iii. No vacuum is demonstrable below the transpiring surface.
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2) Imbibition Theory: Sachs (1878)
According to this theory, ascent of sap takes place along the walls of
xylem vessel and not through their cavity as a result of imbibition.

Now it is well known that imbibitional force is insignificant in the

ascent of sap because when the cavities of the vessels are artificially
blocked with oil, air bubbles, wax etc and the twig is transferred to a
beaker containing water. The twig is seen wilt soon.

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 3) Capillary force theory:
In plants the xylem vessels are placed one above the
other forming a sort of continuous channel which can
be compared with long capillary tubes and it was
thought that as water rises in capillary tube due to
capillary force, in the same manner ascent of sap takes
place in xylem.
There are many objections to this theory:
(i) For capillarity a free water surface is required.
(ii) The magnitude of capillary force is low.
(iii) There is no so uniformity in lumen of vessels.
(iv) In Gymnosperms usually the vessels are absent.
Other xylem elements do not form continuous
channels.
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(4) Transpiration Pull and Cohesion of Water Theory:
This theory was originally proposed by Dixon and Joly (1894) and greatly supported
and elaborated by Dixon (1914, 1924). This theory is very convincing and has now
been widely supported by many workers.
This theory is based on the following features:
(i) Cohesive and Adhesive properties of water molecules to form a continuous
water column in the xylem.
(ii) Transpiration pull exerted on this water column.
According to this theory, the water molecules cohere together and form a
long continuous water column from the xylem of root to the xylem of leaf
with no air bubbles in it.

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 This water column cann’t be broken easily due to force of gravity and other
obstructions offered by the internal tissue in the ascent of sap because the
magnitude of cohesive force of water is very high ( 350 atm) .
Thus , this water column behaves as solid column like a rope.
During day time, when transpiration takes place in leaves at the upper part of the
plant , water evaporates from the inter cellular space of leaves to the outer
atmosphere through the stomata.
More water is released into the intercellular spaces from the mesophyll cells. This
loss of water increases the osmotic concentration which consequently increases
the osmotic pressure as a result turgor pressure and water potential of mesophyll
cells decreases, at the same time water potential of xylem vessels of leaf is high

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 Hence the mesophyll cells draw water from the adjoining cells of lower
osmotic pressure and ultimately from xylem vessels by the process of osmosis.
When a number of such cells draw water from xylem vessels a strong suction
force (-Ve force) called transpiration pull force is generated on the water column
at it’s upper end. As a result , the whole water column is bodily pulled up.
But, When transpiration does not takes place i.e. the suction force is not
generating , here also the water column does not fall down. It remains as same
as before because of adhesive properties of water, the water molecules adhere
with the wall of xylem vessels.
As this theory explains , how the water can be lifted through the xylem vessels to
the height of tallest trees (90-100meter) and has been strongly supported by
many other scientists , this is the most accepted theory.

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 Route of Ascent of Sap
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Very Short Answer Questions
1. Define ascent of sap.
2. Name the pathway through which ascent of sap takes place.
3. Define root pressure.
4. What do you mean by transpiration pull?
5. What is the main responsible factor for ascent of sap to the height of tallest trees ?
6. Give the statement of imbibition theory for ascent of sap.
7. Who proposed the transpiration pull theory?
8. Explain, how ascent of sap takes place according to atmospheric pressure theory?

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Short Answer Questions.
1. Define ascent of sap. Give an experiment to demonstrate the phenomenon of ascent of
sap in plants.
2. Give an experiment to demonstrate root pressure.
3. Write short notes on vital force theories to explain the mechanism of ascent of sap.
4. Mention about capillary force theory and explain why other scientists do not support this
theory?
Long Answer Question.
1.Explain the Transpiration pull andcohesion – tension theory of ascent of sap.

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