VASCULAR TISSUE

→ plants have a transport system made up of xylem and phloem vessels.

These transport nutrients from the roots of the plants to the stem and leaves vice versa.

XYLEM
→ transport water and minerals from the roots to the stem and leaves. (in transpiration)

PHLOEM
→ transport food minerals (mainly sucrose and amino acids) made from the plant by
photosynthesizing leaves to non photosynthesizing regions in the roots and stems.
(in translocation)

They are arranged throughout the roots stems and leaves in groups called vascular bundles.

WATER UPTAKE
→ water is taken up by root hair cells and moves through the root cortex cells via osmosis and
into the xylem vessels where it is drawn up the stem to the leaves where it enters the mesophyll
cells. (the root hair cells now have higher water potential than the root cortex cells).
→ photosynthesis occurs in the leaves
root hair cells → root cortex cells → xylem → leaves mesophyll cells
ROOT HAIR CELLS
→ adapted for efficient water uptake by having a large surface area, they are single celled
extensions of the epidermis cells in the root.
→ increases the rate of osmosis into the root as well as increasing the rate of ion uptake by
active transport.

water enters the root hair cells via osmosis

because soil water has a higher water potential
than the cytoplasm of the root hair cells.

they have a thin wall so the diffusion distance is

shortened.

INVESTIGATING WATER MOVEMENT IN PLANTS

→ using a stain

PROCEDURE

- placing a plant like celery into a beaker

full of water that has stain added to it (food
coloring).
- after a few hours, the leaves of the celery
turn the same color as the dyed water. (proves
the water is being taken up by the celery.
- If a cross section of the celery is cut, only
certain areas of the stalk is stained the color of
the water showing that the water is being carried
in a specific vessels through the stem (xylem
vessels).
TRANSPIRATION
→ the loss of water vapour from the mesophyll cell surface due to evaporation. The water
vapour then leaves the plant through diffusion via the stomata.
→ water helps maintain plant structure by keeping the cells turgid
→ occurs in one direction -- from roots to leaves DEAD CELLS

WILTING
→ if the plant loses too much water which is not replaced, it begins to wilt as water moves out of
the cell and turgor pressure decreases.
result : the strength of the cell walls cannot support the plant so it starts to collapse.
TO LIMIT WATER LOSS : plant closes stomata to prevent water from leaving.

HOW TRANSPIRATION CREATED

→ water molecules are drawn up the xylem by transpiration pull. Water molecules are cohesive
meaning they stick together. This means that as the water evaporates through the leaves and
diffuses at the stomata, more water is drawn up the plant from the roots.
If the rate of transpiration from the leaves increases, water molecules are pulled up by xylem
vessels quicker.

FACTORS THAT AFFECTING TRANSPIRATION

→ TEMPERATURE
If the temperature is higher, water evaporates more easily, therefore there is more diffusion so
the rate of transpiration is high.

→ HUMIDITY
The rate of transpiration decreases as the concentration gradient between the inside and
outside is low, so diffusion out of the plant is slower.

INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING TRANSPIRATION

● Cut a shoot underwater to prevent air entering the xylem and place in tube
● Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram and make sure it is airtight,
using vaseline to seal any gaps
● Dry the leaves of the shoot (wet leaves will affect the results)
● Remove the capillary tube from the beaker of water to allow a single air
bubble to form and place the tube back into the water
● Set up the environmental factor you are investigating
● Allow the plant to adapt to the new environment for 5 minutes
● Record the starting location of the air bubble
● Leave for a set period of time
● Record the end location of air bubble
● Change the light intensity or wind speed or level of humidity or temperature
(only one – whichever factor is being investigated)
● Reset the bubble by opening the tap below the reservoir
● Repeat the experiment
● The further the bubble travels in the same time period, the faster
transpiration is occurring and vice versa
TRANSLOCATION

→ occurs in the phloem or phloem tubes and works to transport sucrose and amino acids.
Areas where amino acids and sucrose are produced are called sources.

→ regions where they are stored and used for respiration and growth are called sinks. The
materials are always transported from sources to sinks in all directions.

During winter, when many plants have no leaves, the phloem tubes may transport dissolved
sucrose and amino acids from the storage organs to other parts of the plant so that respiration
can continue

During a growth period (eg during the spring), the storage organs (eg roots) would be the
source and the many growing areas of the plant would be the sinks

After the plant has grown (usually during the summer), the leaves are photosynthesizing and
producing large quantities of sugars; so they become the source and the roots become the
sinks – storing sucrose as starch until it is needed again

LIVING CELLS