1

TRANSPORT IN PLANTS.
Plants have transport systems to move food, water and minerals around.
These systems use continuous tubes called xylem and phloem:
Functions of xylem vessels.
✓ To transport water
✓ To transport mineral ions e.g. nitrate, magnesium ions, phosphates
✓ To provide structural support.
Functions of Phloem vessels.
✓ Phloem tubes carry sugars (sucrose) & other organic nutrients e.g. amino acids made
by plant from the leaves to the rest of the plan for use and storage.
NB: the movement of molecules along the phloem vessels is called translocation.
Structure of the xylem and phloem tissues as seen in section of stem , root and leaf.
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CROSS SECTION OF A ROOT AS SEEN UNDER A MICROSCOPE.

PLAN DIAGRAM OF THE CROSS SECTION OF DICOT ROOT.

 3

CROSS SECTION OF THE DICOT STEM.

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• In the roots xylem and phloem are in the centre to withstand stretching
forces.

• In the stems, they are arranged in bundles near the edge to resist
compression and bending.
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SAMPLE QUESTION.
N19P41Q2 Phloem is used to transport sucrose and amino acids in plants. Sucrose is a
carbohydrate.
(a) Describe the uses of carbohydrates and amino acids in plants. [4]
(b) Fig. 2.1 shows a diagram of a plant. The arrows point to circles containing magnified
cross-sections of those parts of the plant.

Fig. 2.1
Label the position of the phloem in each of the three magnified sections in Fig. 2.1.
Use a label line and the letter P for each section. [3]
 6

SAMPLE QUESTION.
The diagram shows a transverse section of the central portion of a root in a
dicotyledonous plant.

Draw a plan diagram showing distribution of tissues and label the endodermis,

xylem and phloem. [6]

The lower end of a plant stem is placed in water coloured with red dye. After three hours,
the stem is cut as shown in the diagram.

Label the parts A-D [4]

 7

LEAF TISSUE AS SEEN UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.

 8

DIAGRAM SHOWING TH E DIFFERENT LEAF TISSUES.

 9

STRUCTURE OF THE PHLOEM VESSEL.

• This is a long tube that runs alongside the xylem tissue.

• They are made of long narrow tubes with perforated sieve plates along
the thin length to allow substance to pass from cell to cell.
• They consist of living cells which contain cytoplasm but no nucleus and
its activity is controlled by a companion cell next to it which has a
nucleus.
 10

• Vessel elements have cytoplasm on the periphery.

STRUCTURE OF THE XYLEM TISSUE

•
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ADAPTATION OF THE XYLEM FOR TRANSPORT OF WATER AND MINERAL IONS.

• Xylem vessels consist of dead cells.
✓ They are long to transport water and mineral ions from the roots to the leaves.
✓ They have a thick lignified wall for strength,.
✓ Lignin is water proof so it also prevents water loss.
✓ They have hollow lumen to allow continuous flow of water.
✓ The walls of the xylem vessel pits which allow lateral flow of water.
✓ The xylem walls are able to form adhesive force with water molecules which help in
the upward movement of water in the xylem vessels.
✓ Xylem are at the center for support.
SAMPLE QUESTION.
(a) Explain how xylem is suited to its functions in a plant. [7]

Marking points
✓ thick / lignified, cell walls; for support;

✓ lignin; cell walls are waterproof / no water leaks out;

✓ hollow ; water passes through easily / low resistance (to flow);

✓ pits; for lateral movement;
 12

COMPARISON OF THE XYLEM AND PHLOEM.

 13

ROOT HAIR CELLS ON A GERMINATING SEED.

 14

STRUCTURE OF ROOT HAIR CELL.

The hair is an extension of the cell and not a separate cellular structure.
• Its function is to Increase the external surface area of the root for absorption of water
and mineral ions (the hair increases the surface area of the cell to make it more efficient
in absorbing materials).
• It also Provides anchorage for the plant.
ADAPTATIONS OF THE ROOT HAIR CELL.
✓ Has large surface area to maximize absorption.
✓ Has membrane with carrier proteins for active transport of ions.
✓ Has vacuole with high concentration of salts and sugars to give low water potential.
✓ Thin cell wall to provide short distance for diffusion.
✓ More mitochondria to provide energy for active transport.
 15

UPTAKE OF WATER BY ROOT HAIR CELLS.

• The root hair cell has large vacuole with concentrated cell sap (dissolved sugars and
salts).
• Dissolved salts and sugars lower the water potential the cell.
• The soil has higher water potential than the root hair cell.
• Water enters the cell by osmosis through the partially cell membrane down the water
potential gradient.
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SAMPLE QUESTION.
Q1 Water moves into plants from the soil and exits through the leaves.
(a) Explain how water moves from the soil into the root. [4]

MARKING POINTS
✓ Water moves into the root hair cells by osmosis.

✓ From a region of higher water potential to region lower water

potential.

✓ Through a partially permeable membrane.

✓ Salts/sugars / solutes in the vacuole lower the water in the root

hair cells.
MOVEMENT OF WATER FROM THE ROOT HAIR CELLS TO THE XYLEM.
• Water enters root hair cells by osmosis. This happens when the water potential in the
soil surrounding the root is higher than in the cell à water diffuses from the soil into the
root hair, down its concentration gradient.
• As the water enters the cell, its water potential becomes higher than in the cell next to it,
e.g. in the cortex.
• Water moves, by osmosis, from one cell to another down the water potential until water
enters the xylem vessels.
 17

Diagram below illustrates water uptake, transport and transpiration in a

dicotyledonous plant.
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Summary :Passage of water through root, stem and leaf.

Root hair cell root cortex cells xylem of root xylem of stem xylem of leaf mesophyll cell.
 20

Investigating ,using methylene blue, the pathway of water through the above ground parts
of a plant.
• A young plant shoot with leaves is placed in a solution of 1% methylene blue.

• A shoot is left in the light for 24hours.

• After 24hours, the stems are cut across the blue dye can be seen in the vascular bundles.
 21

• The presence of blue in the vascular bundle shows that the dye dissolved in water
travelled up the stem in the xylem vessels.
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TRANSPIRATION
Key definition: Transpiration is the loss of water vapour from plant leaves by
evaporation of water at the surface of mesophyll cells followed by diffusion of water
vapour through the stomata.
How water vapour loss is related to the large surface area of cell surface
,interconnecting air spaces and stomata.
• Mesophyll cells are lined by a thin layer of water.
• Water evaporates from the mesophyll lining into the air spaces.
• This creates a high concentration of water vapour molecules in the air spaces.
• Water vapour diffuses out of the leaf into the surrounding air, through the
stomata, by diffusion.

IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPIRATION.
• Transpiration results in the uptake of water and transport of mineral ions which
move through the plant in the transpiration stream.
• Evaporation of water from leaf produces a cooling effect which prevents leaf cells
from being damaged by the strong radiation from direct sunlight.
MECHANISM BY WHICH WATER MOVES UPWARDS IN THE XYLEM IN
TERMS OF A TRANSPIRATION PULL.
• Transpiration continuously remove water from the leaf.
• Water is constantly being taken from the top of the xylem vessels, to supply the
cells in the leaves.
• Loss of water results in the decrease in pressure at the top of the xylem vessels.
• Decrease in pressure creates a transpiration pull, pulling water up.
• Water molecules form some hydrogen bonds, they stick together, this is called
cohesion.
• Water molecules are pulled up as a column called transpiration stream.
• To prevent collapsing of the water column, water molecules form some bonds
with the walls of the xylem vessels, this is called adhesion
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 24

SAMPLE QUESTION.
Explain the mechanism of water movement from the roots up the tree to the

leaves.[4]

MARKING POINTS.
✓ water evaporates from the surface of the mesophyll cell, into

airspaces (in mesophyll);

✓ Water moves from the upper part of the xylem by osmosis into

leaf cells;

✓ Loss of water generates a suction force/ tension/ negative

pressure

✓ continuous column of water is pulled up as stream;

✓ cohesion of water molecules enables them to be pulled as a

column.

✓ adhesion of water to, cell wall / xylem prevents the collapsing

of the column.

✓ water vapour, diffuses / passes, out through stomata;

 25

WILTING
Wilting is a condition when plants lose more water than they absorb, leaves lose
their turgidity and they droop.

How wilting occurs.

• Young plant stems and leaves rely on their cells being turgid to keep them rigid.
• If the amount of water lost from the leaves of a plant is more than the amount
taken into the roots.
• The plant will have a water shortage; cells become flaccid (soft) and no longer
press each other.
• Stems and leaves lose their rigidity, and wilt.
 26

The diagram below shows a potted plant left on light for 24hours when water
loss is greater than water uptake.

IMPORTANCE OF WILTING.
• Wilting prevents huge water loses through transpiration.

FACTORS AFFECTING TRANSPIRATION.

1.Temperaure.
 27

• Increasing temperature increases the rate of transpiration.

• Increasing temperature increases the rate at which water evaporates from the lining of the
mesophyll cells.
• More water vapour molecules accumulate in the air space, the vapour gradient steepens
and diffusion occurs at a faster rate.
• Increase in temperature also increases the kinetic energy of water vapour molecules , so
they diffuse faster.

2.Humidity.
 28

• Humidity is a measure of the quantity of water vapour in the air.

• Rate of transpiration decreases with increasing humidity.
• Decrease in humidity results in lower concentration of water vapour molecules outside
the leaf, making a steeper concentration gradient for diffusion.

3.Light intensity.
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• As light intensity increases, the rate of transpiration increases up to to a maximum that is

determined by the other conditions, such as the humidity of the air and temperature.
• Light cause stomata to open to allow gas exchange for photosynthesis, so water vapour
can diffuse out of the leaf.
 30

4. Wind.

• The greater the wind speed, the faster the rate of transpiration.
• Increase in air movements removes water vapour molecules as they pass out of the leaf,
maintaining a steep concentration gradient for diffusion.
• Water vapour molecules diffuse out of the leaf through the stomata.

SAMPLE QUESTION.
9 (a) Describe and explain how an increase in each of the following factors surrounding a
plant affects the rate of transpiration:
• temperature
• light intensity
• humidity. [7]
(b) Suggest the importance of transpiration to a plant. [3]
[Total: 10]
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MARKING POINTS.
9 (a)
temperature
✓ rate of transpiration increases with increasing temperature ;
✓ Increased temperature increases the evaporation of water;
✓ from surface of mesophyll cells ;
✓ Increasing temperature increases the kinetic energy of water vapour
molecules
✓ Molecules move faster hence increased rate of diffusion.

light intensity
✓ Increasing light intensity increases rate of transpiration.
✓ more stomata open / stomata open wider ;
✓ increased surface area for water loss ;
humidity
✓ Increasing humidity decreases the rate of transpiration;
✓ diffusion gradient decreases
✓ Rate decreases;

(b)
✓ to bring water / salts ;
✓ from roots to leaves / up the stem ;
✓ for photosynthesis ;
✓ cool leaf / plant ;
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SAMPLE QUESTION
M19 P42 Q5 Scientists investigated the effect of cuticle thickness on water loss from
the leaves of the balsam fir tree, Abies balsamea.
The leaves were divided into three groups:
A – thick cuticle B – medium cuticle C – thin cuticle
Samples of leaves from each group were weighed. The leaves were placed on a tray in dry
air at 20 °C. The samples of leaves were reweighed, at intervals, over 15 hours.
The scientists calculated the mass of each sample of leaves as a percentage of the initial
mass. Fig. 5.1 shows the results.

Fig. 5.1
(a) (i) Describe and explain the results shown in Fig. 5.1. [5]
(ii) The investigation was repeated on a day when the air humidity was higher.
Suggest and explain the effect that this would have on the results. [3]
(b) The leaves of pine trees show xerophytic features. Stems and roots also show
xerophytic adaptations.
State one adaptation of the stem and one adaptation of the root in xerophytes. [2]
(c) Water is one of the raw materials needed for the production of sugars in
photosynthesis.
(i) State the name of the other raw material needed for photosynthesis. [1]
(ii) State three ways a plant uses the sugars produced in photosynthesis. [3]
 33

MARKING POINTS.
5(a)
(i)
✓ leaf A / thick cuticle, lost the least mass / water ;
✓ leaf C / thin cuticle, lost the most mass / water ;
✓ leaf B / medium cuticle, lost more mass or water than A / less mass or
✓ water than C ;
✓ loss of mass is due to the loss of water ;
✓ the thicker the cuticle the, less water / mass, lost ;
✓ loss of, mass / water, fastest initially (then slows) ;
✓ ref. to transpiration / (reduced) evaporation ;
(ii)
✓ less, water / mass, loss (from leaves A, B and C) ;
✓ reduced transpiration ;
✓ increased water (concentration) in the air ;
✓ Concentration gradient decreases;
✓ less diffusion of water vapour ;

5(b) stem – swollen

root – extensive / widespread / shallow (root system) .
5(c)
(i)
✓ carbon dioxide ;
5(c)(ii)
✓ respiration ;
✓ starch ;
✓ cellulose ;
✓ chlorophyll ;
✓ sucrose ;
✓ nectar ;
✓ amino acids / protein ;
✓ fats / oils ;
✓ nucleic acids / DNA / RNA ;
✓ growth of (any named part) membrane, cell wall, cytoplasm ;
 34

MEASURING RATE OF WATER UPTAKE.

• A potometer is used to measure the rate of water uptake by a plant.

• The rate at which plant takes up water depends on the rate of transpiration.
• A bubble potometer can be used to compare the rate of transpiration in different
conditions.
• It compared by recording how fast the air bubble or meniscus moves along the
capillary tube.

Bubble Potometer.
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PROCEDURE.
• The leafy shoot is cut, the apparatus filled and the shoot fixed to the potometer, all
under water to prevent air locks in the system.
• The plant is allowed to equilibrate (to adjust to the conditions) for 5min before
introducing air bubble.
• Air bubble is inserted by removal of tube from water.
• The bubbles move towards the plants due to transpiration pull.
• The rate is calculated by dividing the distance moved by time.
• To improve reliability, rate of bubble movement is measured at least 3 times and
average result is calculated.
NB: Measuring the rate 3 times helps to improve reliability.
• Reservoir of water is used to return bubble to zero each time.
NB: For the water taken up by the plant 98% is lost by transpiration,
✓ 1% is used to increase the turgor pressure for support.
✓ and the other 1% is used in photosynthesis.
 36

LIMITATIONS OF THE POTOMETER.

• Although a potometer is used to compare rates of transpiration, it is the rate of
water uptake that is measured.
• Not all the water that is taken up is lost by transpiration.
• The rate of uptake of a cut shoot may not reflect the rate in the intact plant. If the
root system were present, it might offer resistance to the flow of water or it could
be helping the flow by means of its root.

SAMPLE QUESTION.
N17P31 Q 7 Fig. 7.1 shows a potometer.
This equipment is used to measure the rate of water uptake in a leafy shoot.

Fig. 7.1
(a) A leafy shoot in a potometer was exposed to different conditions.
The distance moved by the air bubble in 10 minutes was recorded.
Table 7.1 shows the results.
Table 7.1
 37

(i) State which conditions result in the greatest rate of water uptake in the
shoot. [1]
(ii) Calculate the rate of water uptake in millimetres per minute for the shoot in
cool, damp air.
Show your working.
.............................. mm per min [4]

(iii) The rate of water uptake is approximately equal to the rate of transpiration.
An increase in wind speed increases the rate of transpiration.
Suggest the effect that increasing wind speed would have on the movement of the
air bubble. [1]
(b) State where and how water normally enters a plant. [2]
(c) Describe how water is lost from a plant by transpiration. [3]
(d) State the name of the tissue that transports water to the leaves. [1]
[Total: 10]

SAMPLE QUESTION.
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J09 P3 4 (a) Using the term water potential, explain how water is absorbed into root
hairs from the soil. [3]
A potometer is a piece of apparatus that is used to measure water uptake by plants.
Most of the water taken up by plants replaces water lost in transpiration.
A student used a potometer to investigate the effect of wind speed on the rate of water
uptake by a leafy shoot. As the shoot absorbs water the air bubble moves upwards.
The student’s apparatus is shown in Fig. 4.2.

Fig. 4.2

The student used a fan with five different settings and measured the wind speed. The
results are shown in Table 4.1.
Table 4.1

(b) Calculate the rate of water uptake at the highest wind speed and write your answer in
the table. [1]
 39

(c) Describe the effect of increasing wind speed on the rate of water uptake. You may
use figures from Table 4.1 to support your answe .[2]
(d) State two environmental factors, other than wind speed, that the student should
keep constant during the investigation. [2]
(e) Some of the water absorbed by the plants is not lost in transpiration.
State two other ways in which water is used. [2]
(f) Water moves through the xylem to the tops of very tall trees, such as giant redwoods
of North America. The movement of water in the xylem is caused by transpiration.
Explain how transpiration is responsible for the movement of water in the xylem. [4]
(g) Plants that live in hot, dry environments show adaptations for survival.
State three structural adaptations of these plants. [3]

MARKING POINTS.
4 (a)
✓ osmosis;
✓ water, diffuses / moves, down water potential gradient ;
✓ through partially permeable membrane

(b)
✓ 20.0
(c)
✓ (rate of water) uptake increases ;
✓ There positive correlation
-1 1 -1 -1
e.g. 0.4 mm min at 0 m s- / no wind, 20 mm min at 8 m s A increase by
×50 [2 max]

(d)
✓ temperature ;
✓ humidity ;
✓ light intensity
(e)
✓ (raw material for) photosynthesis.
✓ Keeps plant cells turgid for support ;
✓ transport of, solutes e.g nitrates
✓ forming vacuoles / growth / (cell) expansion ;
✓ taking part in chemical reaction(s) ; e.g. hydrolysis / breaking down
food
substance
✓ medium for chemical reactions

(f)
✓ loss of water (vapour) through stomata (in leaves) ;
 40

✓ evaporation, from surfaces of (mesophyll) cells / into air spaces (in

leaf) ;
✓ loss of water from leaf (cells) lowers water potential ;
✓ water moves into leaf from xylem ;
✓ This pulls on / creates tension in water column in xylem ;
✓ cohesion of water molecules enable water molecules to be pulled as a
column .
✓ Adhesion of water molecules and the xylem vessels prevent the
collapsing of the water column.
(g)s structural adaptations
✓ leaves, small / reduced to spines / are needles ; A small surface area
✓ no leaves ;
✓ curled / rolled, leaves ;
✓ hairs on the, leaves / stems ;
✓ thick waxy cuticle ;
✓ sunken stomata
✓ few stomata ;
✓ fleshy / succulent, leaves / stems ; A described as reserves / stores of
water
✓ small surface area: volume ratio ;
✓ deep roots ;
✓ long / extensive, shallow roots
 41

WEIGHT POTOMETER.
• A weight potometer is used to demonstrate water loss by plant.

• A well-watered plant is prepared by surrounding the pot with a plastic bag sealed around
the stem of the plant with an elastic band to prevent direct evaporation of water from
the pot so that water is lost through transpiration only.
• The plant is weighed and its mass is recorded.
• The plant is left for 24 hours, it is re-weighed and the difference in mass is calculated.
• The difference in mass is the mass of water lost through transpiration.
 42

• The rate of water loss can be calculated by dividing the difference by time taken.
• The procedure can be repeated, exposing the plant to different environmental conditions,
such as light, wind speed, humidity or light intensity.

EXPERIMENT TO FIND WHICH SURFACE OF LEAF LOSES MORE WATER

VAPOUR.

PROCEDURE.
• Four leaves of the same size and age are cut from the same plant for fair comparison.
• The four leaves are treated differently.
Leaf A: On the leaf a thin layer of same type petroleum jelly is smeared on both surfaces.
Leaf B: A thin layer of petroleum jelly is smeared on the lower surface of the leaf.
Leaf C: A thin layer of petroleum jelly is smeared on the upper surface of the leaf.
Leaf D: The leaf left free of petroleum jelly.
• Little Vaseline is placed on the end of the leaf stalk to prevent loss of water through the
cut stalk.
• The leaves are suspended from a stand with threads for several days the results were as
shown below.
RESULTS.
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INTERPRETATION

• The petroleum jelly prevents evaporation.

• The untreated leaf(D) and the leaf with its upper surface show the greatest degree of
shriveling, so it is from the lower surface that leaves lose most water by evaporation.
• More accurate results can be obtained by weighing the leaves at the start and end of the
experiment.
• More rapid results can be obtained by sticking small squares of blue cobalt chloride
paper to the upper and lower surface of the same leaf using a transparent adhesive tape.
 44

• Cobalt chloride paper changes from blue to pink as it takes up moisture.

• By comparing the time taken for each square to go pink, the relative rates of evaporation
from each surface can be compared.
• Plants which live in extreme environments have adaptations to control their transpiration
rate. Most modifications are adaptations to very dry (arid) environments.

XEROPHYTES.
Xerophytes are adapted to survive in dry environments .
 45

ADAPTATIONS OF LEAVES.
EXAMPLE1: Marram grass – A plant that grows on sand dunes.
 46

TRANSVERSE SECTION OF A MARRAM GRASS LEAF.

 47

• Leaves that roll up in dry weather to increase humidity around stomata, reducing
transpiration.
• Sunken stomata to create high humidity and reduce transpiration.
• Fine hairs around stomata, reducing air movement so humidity builds up and
transpiration is reduced.
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EXAMPLE 2: Cactus

• Leaves reduced to spines – this reduces the surface area for transpiration and also acts
as a defense against herbivores.
• Reduces number of stomata.
• Stomata closed during the day- when conditions for transpiration are most favorable.
• Fleshy stem - to store water.
• Fibrous roots to increase surface area for uptake of water.
• Long tap roots to absorb water from the water table.
 49

HYDROPHYTES .

Hydrophytes are adapted to survive in water.

EXAMPLE: Water hyacinth.

• The stems and leaf stalks have hollow spaces in them, filled with air à help to float on
the top of the water where they can get plenty of light for photosynthesis.
 50

• Leaves have large air spaces to enable them to float.

• Stomata are on the upper surface to allow absorption of CO2 from the air, for
photosynthesis.
• The cuticle on the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves is much thinner than in plants
that don't live in water, as there is no need to prevent water loss from the leaves.
• Broad leaves to increase surface area for gas exchange and trapping light energy.
 51

TRANSLOCATION OF ORGANIC FOODS IN PLANTS.

Translocation is the movement of sucrose and amino acids in phloem from
regions of production or storage (source) to regions of use for respiration or
growth(sink).

Source- is the part of plant where substances are produced e.g. photosynthetic leaves.
Sink- refers to the part of the plant where the substrate can be stored e.g. roots or stems for
starch.
➢ During the summer, the leaves photosynthesis and send sucrose down into underground
stems. Underground stems swell to form tubers, sucrose is converted to starch for storage.

➢ In spring, new shoots row from the tubers. Starch in the tubers is changed back to
sucrose, and is transported in the phloem to the growing stem and leaves. This will
continue until the leaves are above the ground and photosynthesize.
• NB: in summer leaves are the source and the growing stem tubers are the sinks.
• In spring, the stem tubers are the sources and the growing leaves are sinks.

NB: Phloem can transfer sucrose in either direction - up or down the plant.
This isn't true for the transport of water in the xylem vessels. That can only
go upwards, because transpiration always happens at the leaf surface, and
it is this that provides the 'pull' to draw water up the plant.

1. Glucose the product of photosynthesis is very important as it makes

many other important nutrients, e.g. sucrose.
• Sucrose in the leaves then enters the phloem vessels.
• The phloem transports the sucrose all across the leaf where it can be
made used of.
 52

2. Amino acids are also transported in the phloem.

Sucrose and amino acids are transported to every tissue of the plant, each cell use it in a different
way.
• Root cells convert sucrose into glucose for respiration and store it.
• Growing cells make cellulose for cell walls from sucrose and use the amino acids to
make proteins for growth.
• And fruits use the sucrose to make the attractive scent and tasty nectar to attract insects.
The areas of the plant where sucrose is made, are called sources, and where they are delivered to
and made use of are called sinks.

RINGING EXPERIMENT
The diagram shows part of the trunk of a small tree with a ring of bark removed. Removing the
ring of bark takes away phloem but leaves the xylem intact.

The phloem vessels are situated nearer to the bark in comparison with xylem so they can be
selectively removed by cutting a ring in a stem just deep enough to cut the phloem but not the
xylem.
 53

After a week there is:

• a swelling above the ring
• reduced growth below the ring
• the leaves are unaffected.

This was early evidence that sugars were transported downwards in the phloem.
Grey squirrels and other small mammals gnaw the bark and destroy the phloem that is in the
inner bark region.

SAMPLE QUESTION.
J15 P21 Q9 (a) Fig. 9.1 shows a green plant.

Fig. 9.1
Plants need to move substances around between their leaves, stems and roots. One of the
processes they use is translocation.
Describe the process of translocation. [3]
 54

(b) Fig. 9.2 shows the whole plant and sections through its root, stem and a leaf.

Fig. 9.2
On Fig. 9.2 use label lines and the letter X to identify one region of xylem in each section
(root, stem and leaf). [3]
 55

APHIDS AND PHLOEM TRANSPORT.

• Aphids are small insects that feed on the sap in the phloem of plants.
• They have piercing mouth parts called stylet which can be inserted into a phloem tube.
• Aphids can be used to study the transport of sugars in the phloem.
• If the stylet of a feeding aphid is cut, the sugary sap will pass out of the stylet for some
time.
 56

COMPARISON OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE XYLEM AND PHLOEM.

Phloem Xylem

Feature

Composition of Sucrose and Water and

sap amino acids. mineral ions.

Direction of flow Both directions Upwards only

in the stem depending on the

position of the

sink.

Destinations To the sink To the leaves

Energy Energy is to Movement of

requirement transport water in the

sucrose from the xylem is a passive

source into the process.

phloem