TRANSPORT IN PLANTS

QUESTIONS

 What substances do the plants need for photosynthesis?

 How does it get to the leaves?
 How do material get to the storage organs from the point of
manufacture?
 How does plants food /fertilizer get into the plant and move through the
plant?
 HOW DO PLANTS GET WHAT THEY NEED?
What do plants need for healthy
growth?

⚫ minerals ⚫ Manufactured materials

⚫ water
⚫ Waste products
⚫ sunlight

⚫ oxygen for respiration

⚫ carbon dioxide for
photosynthesis

Where do plants get these nutrients?

Like all organisms, plants have to get materials for growth from their environment.
Plants must then get these nutrients to the part of the plant that needs them.
HOW ARE PLANTS ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORT?
The structures of cells and tissue in different parts of the plant are adapted to allow
transportation of essential materials. Match the part of the plant to its function

Leaves are entry and exit points for

the gases needed by plants.

Stems connect the roots to the leaves,

flowers and fruits. They contain cells
specially adapted for transportation of
water, minerals and sugars.

Roots absorb water and minerals

from the soil.
 WHICH CELLS TRANSPORT NUTRIENTS?
Plants contain two types of cell adapted for
transportation.

Xylem cells transport water and minerals

up the stem from the roots to the shoots
and leaves. This transport occurs in one
direction only.

Phloem cells transport sugars produced

in the leaves up and down the stem to
growing and storage tissues.

These specialized cells form tissues

arranged in plants as vascular bundles.
Both phloem and xylem form continuous
systems connecting roots, stems and leaves.
 TRANSVERSE SECTION OF THE STEM OF A DICOTYLEDONOUS
PLANT: THE ROOT

 In roots, the vascular tissues form a

central core—a location where they're
protected from the harsh activity of
pushing through soil.
 The ground tissue or cortex makes
up the bulk of the plant. Diverse
functions including photosynthesis,
storage, and support

 The epidermis is the outer layer. Its

main role is protection.
 TRANSVERSE SECTION OF THE STEM OF A DICOTYLEDONOUS
PLANT

 In stems, the vascular tissues are contained

in bundles; these bundles sit relatively near
the surface of the stem.
 Cambium is the type of cell
associated with this growth. When the
vascular cambium cells divide, they
create more xylem and phloem cells.
 The ground tissue or cortex- diverse
functions including photosynthesis, storage,
and support

 Pith is composed of soft, spongy

parenchyma cells, which store and transport
nutrients throughout the plant. It is found
in the center most region of root.
 HOW IS XYLEM ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORTATION?
Water and minerals travel in xylem vessels.

Xylem vessels have thick cellulose cell walls,

strengthened by lignin. The inside of the cells
are narrow and hollow.
Xylem vessels are dead cells (contain no
cytoplasm or nucleus). They form columns of
elongated cells joined end to end.

Xylem vessels transport water and minerals

from the roots to the shoot and leaves. This
transport only occurs in one direction.

The thick walls of xylem cells also help

support plants.
 HOW IS PHLOEM ADAPTED TO TRANSPORTATION?
Phloem is made of columns of living cells. They
transport manufactured food, in the form of
sugars and amino acids.
Sugars are carried from the leaves to the
growing and storage parts of the plants. This
movement takes place in both directions.
Phloem cells are also called sieve tube element.
Cells are joined end to end by small holes in the
cell wall at the end of each cell, forming a
continuous system. The perforated end cell walls
are called sieve plates.
Unlike xylem, phloem are living tissues and has no
lignin in the cell wall.
Although sieve tubes are living they have no nucleus,
few organelles and little cytoplasm surrounding a
very large vacuole
 HOW IS PHLOEM ADAPTED TO TRANSPORTATION?

Specialized cells called companion cells are

closely associated with sieve tubes. Each
contains a nucleus, numerous mitochondria and
other organelles that are largely absent from
the sieve tubes.

It is thought that these cells carry out the

normal cell processes for sieve tubes and
supply energy for transport,
VASCULAR BUNDLES – are made up of bundles of xylem and phloem
tubes close together.
VASCULAR BUNDLES
 HOW DO TALL TREES GET ENOUGH
WATER?

Redwoods are the tallest species of tree in the world.

The tallest redwood ever measured was 120 metres

tall. That is six times the height of the Angel of the
North!

How does a plant this size get water from its roots
to the branches at the top?

The water will travel up the stem, or trunk, of the

tree.

What experiment could show that water travels up

stems?
MOVEMENT OF WATER UP A STEM
TRANSPORT OF WATER

 Water enters the root through root hairs by osmosis.

 Each root hair is a long narrow extension of a single epidermal cell.
 Root hair are numerous just behind the tips of the root. As the older
root hair further away from the tip die , new ones grow out closer to
the root tip.
 In the root cell, there are sugars and other dissolved substances at
much higher concentration than in the soil.
 So water continuously move from the soil where it is at high
concentration, into the root cells where it is at low concentration.
 Water moves through the epidermal layer of cells of the root hair , across the cortex and
into the xylem vessel by osmosis.
 When the stomata opens, and the
concentration of water vapor in the air is lower
than inside the leaf, water diffuse from the air
space inside the leaf, through the stomata into
the air.
 As water is lost from the air spaces, more
evaporates from the wet surface of the
surrounding mesophyll cells to replace it.
 Water is then drawn from adjoining cells in the
leaf by osmosis.
 The cells nearest to the xylem pull water from
the xylem vessel to replace what they lose to
the other leaf cells
 The loss of water vapor from the top of the
tree creates a suction pressure which pulls
water up the tree from the root, transpiration
creates that pressure.
 WHAT IS TRANSPIRATION?

Transpiration is the loss of water by evaporation from plants.

Plants lose water when they open the stomata in the leaves to let
in carbon dioxide.

Water always moves from an area of high concentration to

an area of low concentration. This movement of water is a
type of diffusion called osmosis.

Air around the plant usually contains less water than

the cells of the plant, so water evaporates into the air.

Although it may seem bad for plants, transpiration actually moves water from the roots
to the top of the plant, without using energy. How does this work?
 THREE MECHANISMS FOR WATER
MOVEMENT
❖ Capillary action
When a thin straw is placed in a glass of water, water rise a little up the straw.
This is due to the attraction between water molecules and the walls of the straw,
which is called adhesion. Water molecules are also attached to each other, this is
called cohesion. Capillary action is the movement of water along a surface of a
xylem vessel (due to adhesion) caused by the attraction of water molecules to
each other (due to cohesion) and xylem cell wall. Plants use capillary action to
bring water up the roots and stems to the rest of the plant.
 THREE MECHANISMS FOR WATER
MOVEMENT
❖ Root pressure
This caused by active transport of mineral nutrient ions into the root xylem. The minerals
accumulated creating a low concentration of water inside the cell in relation to soil water
outside the root. Water therefore diffuses from the soil into the root cells due to osmosis, this
cause the cells to become turgid. The walls of the cells expands and exert pressure (root
pressure) on the water content and force it out into the xylem vessel.
Root pressure is caused by this accumulation of water in the xylem pushing on the rigid cells.
Root pressure provides a force, which pushes water up the stem. However like capillary
action, root pressure is not enough to account for the movement of water to leaves at the top
of the tallest trees.
 THREE MECHANISMS FOR WATER
MOVEMENT
❖ Transpiration – The upward movement of water is mainly due to the
creation of a negative force or tension attributed to the continuous
evaporation of water at the surfaces of leaves in the process of transpiration.
As molecule after molecule of water evaporates through the stomata, it
creates a pulling action on the next molecules of water in the transpiration
stream. This pulling force, otherwise called transpiration pull, is strong
enough to overcome the force of gravity.

The transpiration pull is similar to the suction force when drinking some fluid
from a bottle or glass with a straw.
TRANSPIRATION
Transpiration can be categorized into three types based on the site of transpiration.
 Stomatal transpiration – More transpiration occurs on the lower surface of the leaves than the upper surface of
the leaves. This is because amount of stomata on the lower surface of the leaf is more numerous. (~90% of water loss)
 Lenticular transpiration - Lenticels are pores located on the stem. A small amount of water evaporates through
them. They are less in number compared to the stomata. (~0.1% water loss)
 Cuticular Transpiration – this is the transpiration that takes place from the leaf surface. Leaves are covered by a
waxy layer of cuticle that functions to reduce water loss. Therefore the cuticle reduce the rate of transpiration. (~3% -
10% water loss)
 IS THE RATE OF TRANSPIRATION CONSTANT?

Transpiration is a bit like a straw, pulling water up the plant.

Sometimes the pulling force will be stronger and the plant will lose
more water.

The speed at which a plant loses water is called the rate of

transpiration. This varies depending on the plant’s
environment.
What environmental factors will affect the rate of
transpiration?
⚫ humidity (amount of moisture in the air) – high humidity slows transpiration)
⚫ light intensity – stomata tend to open in the light
⚫ temperature
⚫ air movement (wind).
⚫ Carbon dioxide concentration
 CONTROL OF TRANSPIRATION
THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS – TRANSPIRATION
COMPROMISE

 Opening and closing of stomata influence gas exchange, transpiration,

and photosynthesis.
 Water loss is a trade-off of allowing CO2 into the cell.
 When water enters guard cells, they expand unevenly, curving like a
bananas. This opens the stoma.
 Stoma close when temperature are high, but open when CO2 is low
inside the leaf.
 Stomata are open during the day but close at night: CO2 response.
Guard cells have thicker cell walls on the side facing the stoma. This
arrangement helps the cell to bend one way when vacuoles are turgid.
An accumulation of potassium mineral and sugar in the guard cells, causes
water to enter them. They swell and curve, opening the stoma. The stomata
close when the guard cells lose water and become flaccid.
CATEGORIES OF PLANTS

Plants can be classified base on there level of water availability they can
tolerate.
1. Xerophytes are plants that live in places where water is in short supply
2. Mesophytes are plants that live in area where water is readily available.
3. Hydrophytes are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments
(saltwater or fresh water).
4. Halophytes are plants that grow in waters of high salt concentration.
 ADAPTION IN PLANTS TO CONSERVE WATER
Water is a very important medium of transport. It transport minerals, it is a raw material for
photosynthesis, maintains turgor in cells and it helps to cool the plant as it losses heat
when water is evaporated during transpiration. Therefore plants that live in dry
environment must conserve its water.
Xerophytes have several types of adaptations that help them conserve water.
1. A leathery or waxy coating on the leaves and stems reduces evaporation.
2. Thick stems or other plant parts provide water storage space.
3. Small leaves or spines (modified leaves) reduce the surface area of the plant exposed
to the sun.
4. Spines and fine hairs reflect heat and reduce the air flow over the plant’s surface.
Many plants have a combination of these adaptations.
Transport of Sugars
•Sugars (mainly sucrose) produced by
photosynthesis and amino acids are actively
transported to the phloem tube, which makes
them concentrated.
•Water then enters phloem vessel since it is
more concentrated and creates a positive
pressure.
•Pressure moves sugar solution from source
to sink (to other parts of the plant where it is
needed).
•Sugars are removed from the sieve tubes at
the sink maintaining the gradient.
•Creating starch removes sugar.
•The transport of organic food through the
plant is called translocation.
HOW DO MINERALS ENTER PLANTS?

Like water, minerals enter plants through the roots. However, they do this by different methods.

Water passively diffuses with a concentration

gradient from the soil into the roots and up the
stem.

Minerals are usually found in the soil in lower

concentrations than they occur in the plant.
Why can they not be transported by diffusion?

Diffusion cannot take place against a

concentration gradient.

Instead, minerals enter the roots by active transport.

 What is active transport?

soil root hair cell

Active transport uses energy from respiration to move

substances against a concentration gradient.

Specific minerals from the soil enter

through channels in the cell walls of
the root hair cells.

The minerals then travel around the

plant in the xylem vessels.

Plants may take up some minerals in

the soil but not others. Why is it
important that plants select which mineral
minerals to transport?
HOW ARE ROOTS ADAPTED TO THEIR FUNCTION?

The roots of this onion bulb are long and thin. They have
formed a fine network, filling the available space.

Roots contain thousands of tiny root hair cells,

which project out into the soil.

How do these features make roots suitable for

absorbing water and minerals?

⚫ high surface area to volume ratio

⚫ maximum contact with the soil
⚫ firm anchorage.
 IMPORTANCE OF FOOD STORAGE IN LIVING ORGANISMS.

Storage as a means of :
 overcoming the need for continuous food intake or manufacturing
 providing for periods of scarcity (eg droughts or famines)
 Providing for special functions, such as, production of sexual or
vegetative reproductive structures, muscle cells need their own store of
food.
 SITES OF STORAGE

 Food is stored in the roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds in plants
 In animals glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and
muscles, excess fat is stored under the skin in adipose tissues
GERMINATION
QUESTIONS

 Explain why most plants have stomata mainly on the lower surface of their leaves.
 What does water transport in the xylem depend on within the plant? Briefly describe each of these factors.
Does water transport within the plant depend upon energy of any sort or does it occur passively?
 How does root pressure form within the root?
 Why are guard cells important to stomata?
 Predict the environment in which you would expect to find plants with several layers of palisade mesophyll cells
densely packed with chloroplasts. Explain why.