IGCSE Double Award Extended Coordinated Science

Biology 5.1 - Transport in Plants

Plant Cross-sections

You need to know​ the following parts of a plant, (​leaf​, stem, root), when given their transverse sections.
- FOR LEAF STRUCTURE GO TO UNIT B4.2 - Plant Nutrition

- Epidermis ​: Single layer of cells on outer side of the stem which protects the stem and cuts down water loss
- Cortex ​: Packing cells that fills the volume of the stem
- Vascular Bundle​: the bundle of transport vessels
- Phloem ​: The vessel that carries food (nutrients) and plant hormones
- Cambium ​: The layer that separates phloem and xylem that grows new xylem and phloem cells
- Xylem ​: The vessel that carries water and minerals.
- Pith ​: Packing cells at the centre of the stem

In a Stem: Transverse View

- In a stem, phloem is on the outside, then the cambium in between, and the xylem inside.
- And there are multiple vascular bundles spread out in a stem.

In a Root: Transverse View

- In a root, there is a big central xylem block looking like a star, and smaller phloem vessels around it.
- There is only one big central vascular bundle in a root.
 Xylem and Phloem

You need to know​ the functions of xylem and phloem, and their characteristics

- Xylem
- Xylem tissues transport water and mineral ions in water.
- Xylem vessels only transport upwards, from the root to the leaves.
- Do not use any energy to transport (using a passive process called ​transpiration​)
- Xylem vessels are made from dead cells that are strengthened.
- So they have the ability to provide some support
- And also so that they do not collapse because of the water pressure

- Phloem
- Phloem tissues transport food (nutrients like dissolved sucrose) and hormones.
- Phloem vessels can transport in both directions
- From regions of nutrients production to regions of nutrients use. ​(translocation)
- Translocation is an active process, so it uses energy, unlike xylems’ transpiration.
- Phloem vessels are live cells, because they need to produce energy.

You need to know​ the definition of ​translocation:

- Movement of sucrose and amino acids in phloem- from regions of production to regions of storage
or to regions of utilisation (in respiration or growth).

Movement of Water - Soil to Xylem

You need to know​ the pathway of water from the soil, through the root cells, and into the xylem.

- Water moves from the soil to the xylem vessel using osmosis ​(refer back to Unit B2)​.
- There is a high water potential outside the root hair cell, so water will move into the root hair cell.
- The water moves from the root hair cells to the xylem also through osmosis.
- Each cell further away from the root hair cell has higher solute concentration
- When the water reaches the xylem, it moves up the xylem using transpiration pull.
 Transpiration

You need to know​ the definition of ​transpiration:

- Evaporation of water at the surfaces of the mesophyll cells followed by loss of water vapour from
plant leaves, through the stomata.

- It was stated before that the xylem vessel carries the water, and that transpiration drives this movement.

- This is because when the water evaporates at the top of the plant, it removes water from the xylem vessel,
creating a negative pressure at the top

- This negative pressure causes water to “suck” up the xylem vessel, like a straw.
- This pull is called ​transpiration pull
 - Two properties of water help this process of transpiration pull

- Cohesion​: water molecules like to stick together to each other

- So they will stay together in the xylem tissue

- Adhesion​: water molecules like to stick to other molecules

- So the water molecules will stick to the walls of the xylem as they move up.

Factors Affecting the Rate of Transpiration

You need to know​ the factors that affect transpiration and how they affect the rate:

Temperature
- The higher the temperature, the higher the rate of transpiration.
- This is because the water molecules have more energy to evaporate faster, leading to more water loss.

Humidity
- The higher the humidity, the lower the rate of transpiration.
- This is because the gradient of water vapour concentration is very low.
- Inside the leaf, there is always a high concentration of water vapour due to the evaporation
- So if it's humid outside the leaf, the gradient will be very small so diffusion will be very slow.
Air movement
- The more the air movement, the higher the rate of transpiration
- This is similar to humidity, in that the air outside the leaf determines the rate of transpiration
- If there is more air movement, the saturated air is always blown away from the leaf
- This means there will be fresh air, which has lower concentrations of water vapour
- This means steep gradient, so faster rate of diffusion and transportation.

Light Intensity
- The stronger the light intensity on the plant, the higher the rate of transpiration
- This is because of the stomata’s sensitivity to light.
- As there is more light, the stomata open more, so more water vapour can diffuse out
- Low light means the stomata close, so the rate of transpiration will decrease.

The syllabus says you should be able to, (SO check if you can):

- State the functions of xylem and phloem.

- Identify the positions of xylem and phloem tissues as seen in transverse sections of unthickened,
herbaceous, dicotyledonous roots, stems and leaves.
- Identify root hair cells, as seen under the light microscope, and state their functions.
- Relate the structure and functions of root hairs to their surface area and to water and ion uptake.
- State the pathway taken by water through root, stem and leaf (root hair, root cortex cells, xylem, mesophyll
cells).
- Investigate, using a suitable stain, the pathway of water through the above-ground parts of a plant.
- Define transpiration as evaporation of water at the surfaces of the mesophyll cells followed by loss of water
vapour from plant leaves, through the stomata.
- Describe how water vapour loss is related to cell surfaces, air spaces and stomata.
- Describe the effects of variation of temperature, humidity and light intensity on transpiration rate.
- Explain the mechanism of water uptake and movement in terms of transpiration producing a tension (‘pull’)
from above, creating a water potential gradient in the xylem, drawing cohesive water molecules up the plant.
- Define translocation in terms of the movement of sucrose and amino acids in phloem; from regions of
production to regions of storage or to regions of utilisation in respiration or growth.