Transport in

living things
 25.1 Diffusion
• How are you able to smell various aromas from
food?
o The aromas come from vapour from the food.
o Molecules in the vapour move about randomly.
o They bump into one another and spread out quickly.
o As a result, some molecules enter your nostrils.
o The spreading out of molecules is brought about by
diffusion.
• Diffusion in the overall movement of molecules
from a region of higher concentration to a region
of lower concentration.
 Diffusion in non-living systems
permeable permeable
membrane membrane
A B

water
molecules

10 % sucrose
solution
sucrose
molecules
2 % sucrose solution
Movement of sucrose
Hence,
Solutions
Both types
Since
Also, there
solution
solution is
AofandBAahasnet
Bhas
molecules aamovement
are separated
higher
higher
are free of
bysugar
a
concentration
concentration
to move of molecules from A to B
molecules
permeable
across
of
water
sugar, from
molecules.
themore solution
membrane,
membrane
sugarThus, Athe
to solution
which
molecules
asmore allows
particles
water Bare
bothand
will diffusein a Movement of water
net movement
small andrandom
constant
from
molecules large
solution ofto water
molecules
willAdiffuse
motion.molecules
solution
from to
B. pass from
solution through.
B to molecules from A to B
solution
Both theA.
solution Bsolvent
to solution A. Eventually,
(water) and the solutesboth (the
solutions will have the
sucrose molecules) cansame
passconcentration
through it. of
sugar and water molecules.
 Diffusion in living organisms
• Diffusion in living organisms occurs
continuously and it does not always take
place across a membrane (e.g. cell
membranes).
• Diffusion is important in moving materials
in and out of the cells.
 Diffusion in living organisms
• Diffusion in the
absence of
air spaces

cross-section of part of leaf

membranes
Similarly,dioxide
Diffusion
Carbon occurs
oxygenenters
during
giventhe
off
photosynthesis
leaves
during photosynthesis
through thein the
absenceout
stomata,
diffuses of
moving
membranes.
of leafinto
airair high
spaces asin the
there
leaves.
is a lower concentration
concentration of oxygen of oxygen
This is because
outside the leaves.the
carbon dioxide low
concentration is higher concentration
of carbon
outside the leaves than in
dioxide
the air spaces inside the
leaves. carbon dioxide diffuses oxygen diffuses out
in through stomata through stomata
 Diffusion in living organisms
• Diffusion through a partially permeable membrane
o A partially permeable membrane is a membrane that
allows some molecules to pass through but not others.
o The cell surface membrane in plants is an example of a
partially permeable membrane.
• Gases (e.g. oxygen) and smaller molecules (e.g. sugar) diffuse into
the plants cells through the membrane.
o In humans, gaseous exchange occurs in the lungs by diffusion.
• When we breathe in, oxygen enters the air sacs in our lungs.
• The oxygen concentration is higher in the air sacs than in the blood
surrounding them.
• Thus, oxygen diffuses out of the air sacs into the bloodstream.
 Diffusion in living organisms
• Diffusion through a partially permeable
membrane
o In humans, gaseous exchange occurs in the
lungs by diffusion.
• During respiration in the cells, carbon dioxide is
produced as waste.
• Carbon dioxide is carried in the bloodstream leading
to the lungs.
• It then diffuses out into the air sacs, and leaves the
body when we breathe out.
 Diffusion in living organisms
• Diffusion through a partially permeable membrane

Carbon dioxide diffuses Blood leaving blood vessel has

Blood entering
out of the blood vessel
bloodstream high concentration of oxygen
lungs has
and high concentration
into the air sac. of Oxygen diffuses from of
and low concentration
carbon dioxide and low carbonsurrounding air into the air
dioxide.
concentration of oxygen. sac and bloodstream.

tube

cluster of
air sacs air sac
 25.2 Osmosis
• Osmosis is the net movement of water
molecules from a region of higher
concentration of water molecules (higher
water potential) to a region of lower
concentration of water molecules (lower
water potential) through a partially
permeable membrane.
 Osmosis in non-living systems
Water molecules
can pass freely
through the
membrane
A B
Sucrose molecules
are too big to pass
through its pores.

10% sucrose solution 5% sucrose solution Partially

(lower concentration of (higher concentration of permeable
water molecules; lower water molecules; higher membrane
water potential) water potential)

As water
During osmosis,
molecules
the flow,
waterthe
molecules
volume ofwillsolution
flow from
A rises
solution
and Bthe
with
volume
higherof
SolutionsBAdrops.
concentration
solution and
of B are separated
water
When molecules by a partially
the concentrations
(higher water permeable
of both
potential) membrane.
solutions
to solution
A and B Aare
The membrane
withsame,
the lower there allows
will be smaller
concentration noofnet water
water molecules
movement
moleculesof waterto molecules.
(lower pass
waterthrough but not
potential).
the larger sugar molecules.
 Osmosis in living organisms
• Recall some properties of cells:
o Cell membrane of both plant and animal cells
is partially permeable.
o The plant cell wall is made of cellulose. It is
permeable.
o The plant cell has a relatively rigid (firm) cell
wall.
 Osmosis in living organisms
• What happens to animal cells when they are
placed in distilled water?
• Animal cells
o Animal cells have elastic membranes. When the
water molecules flow in, the animal cells will swell and
eventually burst.

water
moves in

Water potential outside the cell is Cell expands and eventually

higher than that in the cytoplasm. bursts.
 Osmosis in living organisms
• What happens to plant cells when they are placed in
distilled water?
• Plant cells
o Plant cells have strong, rigid cells walls which prevent the cells
from expanding too much.
o When water molecules flow in, the contents in the cell press the
cell wall.
o The water creates a pressure on the cell wall of the plant cell.
This is called turgor pressure and keeps the plant tissues
turgid.
o Soft tissues in plants depend on turgor for support. If plants lose
too much water, they will wilt.
 Osmosis in living organisms
• Plant cells

water
moves in

Water potential outside the cell is Cell expands and becomes turgid.
higher than that in the cell sap. The rigid cellulose cell wall
expands slightly only. This
prevents the cell from bursting.
 Osmosis in living organisms
• What happens to animal cells when they are
placed in concentrated solution?
• Animal cells
o Animal cells will shrivel up as they lose water.

Water leaves
the cell by
osmosis

Concentration of water molecules Cell shrinks and becomes soft.

outside the cell is lower than that It is dehydrated.
in the cytoplasm.
 Osmosis in living organisms
• What happens to plant cells when they are
placed in concentrated solution?
• Plant cells
o When the concentration of water molecules of the
cytoplasm and cell sap is higher than that of the
surrounding solution, water leaves the plant cells by
osmosis.
o The vacuoles shrink and the cell contents pulls away
from the cellulose cell walls. The plant cells lose
turgor pressure and become flaccid.
 Osmosis in living organisms
• Plant cells

Water leaves
the cell by
osmosis.

Concentration of the water Cell contents pull away from the

molecules outside the cell is lower cell walls and the cell becomes
than that in the cell sap. flaccid.
25.3 The Need for a Transport
System
• A multicellular organism like a plant or a human
being is made up of billions of cells.
• Most of these cells lie deep inside the body of
the organism.
• Nutrients and oxygen need to reach each cell in
the body to support the life of the cells.
• A transport system ensures that substances are
transported fast enough throughout the
organism.
 25.4 Absorption of Water and
Mineral Salts by Roots of Plants
• Water and mineral salts are absorbed by
the root hairs from the surrounding soil.
• Water enters the roots by osmosis.
• Mineral salts enter by active transport.
 25.4 Absorption of Water and
Mineral Salts by Roots of Plants
• How is water absorbed by the roots?
o There are numerous root hairs at the ends of
young roots.
o A root hair is an outgrowth of a root hair cell.
o It has a cell membrane, cytoplasm and a large
central vacuole.
o The vacuole contains cell sap, which contains
mainly water and dissolved substances such
as mineral salts.
 25.4 Absorption of Water and
Mineral Salts by Roots of Plants
• How is water absorbed by the roots?
soil particles

film of
water

root water
hair entering
cell root hair

lower higher
concentration concentration
of water of water
molecules molecules
 25.4 Absorption of Water and
Mineral Salts by Roots of Plants
• How is water absorbed by the roots?
o The soil solution consists of water with
dissolved mineral salts.
o It is less concentrated (higher concentration of
water molecules) than the cell sap and the
cytoplasm.
o As the cell membrane is partially permeable,
water enters the root hairs by osmosis.
 25.4 Absorption of Water and
Mineral Salts by Roots of Plants
• How are dissolved mineral salts absorbed
by the roots?
o The concentration of mineral salts in the root
hairs is often higher than in the soil solution.
o Thus, mineral salts should diffuse out of the
root hairs.
o However, this does not occur as the root hairs
not only prevent the outflow of the salts, but
absorb salts from the soil solution.
 25.4 Absorption of Water and
Mineral Salts by Roots of Plants
• How are dissolved mineral salts absorbed
by the roots?
Flow of mineral salts upwards soil particles

root hair
absorbing mineral
xylem salts from the soil

The
The movement of substances
root hairs absorbed against
dissolved a concentration
mineral salts from agradient
region of
using
lower energy is called
concentration to active transport.
a region of higher salt concentration. This
occurs because the root hairs are using energy during the
absorption process.
 25.4 Absorption of Water and
Mineral Salts by Roots of Plants
• Why is energy required in
active transport?
o The higher concentration of
molecules is at the top of
the slope.
o The lower concentration of
molecules is at the bottom
of the slope.
o In diffusion, molecules can Diffusion

roll down the slope without

using much energy.
 25.4 Absorption of Water and
Mineral Salts by Roots of Plants
• Why is energy required
in active transport?
o If the molecules were to
move up the slope,
energy is needed.
o This is what happens in
active transport.

Active transport
 25.5 Transport System in
Flowering Plants
Experiment 1: The path of water through a plant
Put a young balsam plant in a bottle of dilute red ink
solution for one day.

After one day, wash the roots under running tap water and
examine the leaves, cross sections of the stems and roots
of the plant. What do you observe?
 Transport tissues in plant
• Plants have tissues that help to transport
dissolved mineral salts.
• In your experiment previously, you will find that
the red ink has risen in certain strands in the
stem and veins of the leaf.
• These strands are called vascular bundles.
• In all plants, water containing dissolved mineral
salts move up the roots to the leaves through the
stained parts of the vascular bundles.
 Transport tissues in plant
• The cut stems of the balsam plant in the
previous experiment would reveal vascular
bundles under a microscope.
• The vascular bundles are arranged in a
ring around the stem.
• Each vascular bundles arranged in a ring
around it. Each vascular bundle consists
of two types of tissues – xylem and
phloem.
 Transport tissues in plant

phloem

epidermis

xylem
vascular
xylem
bundle phloem
Transport tissues in plant
The phloem
The phloem tissues transports
manufactured food substances (e.g.
sugars) from the leaves to other
parts of the plant.

The xylem
The xylem tissue conducts water
containing dissolved mineral salts
from the root to the leaves. The
xylem consists of long tubes or
vessels that pass from the roots to
the leaves.

phloem: the unstained tissue lying on

the outer side of each bundle

xylem: the stained tissue

on the inside
 Transport tissues in plant
Experiment 2: How is food transported in plants?
The following experiment can be used to demonstrate that
the phloem transports manufactured food substances.
2. Remove a ring
of bark from
1. Take the around the
branch of a main stem.
woody plant This should
(e.g. Hibiscus remove the
plant). phloem,
leaving the
xylem intact.
3. Water and mineral 4. After a few weeks, the part
salts can still be of the stem just above the
conducted up the cut region will swell.
plant.
 Transport tissues in plant
• Food substances, like sugars, cannot
reach the roots because the phloem is
removed.
• The food substances build up in the stem
just above the cut and causes it to swell.
• Without food, the roots will die of
starvation.
25.6 Transport System in Man
• The circulatory system is a
transport system present in humans
to supply oxygen and food quickly to
all parts of the body.
• The circulatory sytem in human
beings is made up of:
o the heart;
o the blood vessels – the arteries, veins
and capillaries; and
o blood – the transport medium.
 25.6 Transport System in Man
lungs
The veins The arteries
The veins carry The arteries carry
blood towards the blood away from
The heart.
capillaries the heart.
Capillaries are tiny
blood vessels which blood
blood flowing
connect the arteries flowing
The
to theheart
veins. Their from the
back to heart
The heart
very is like
thin walls a
allow the heart
muscular
blood pump. Its
to exchange
pumping
substances action
such as Blood
keeps the
oxygen and blood
glucose Blood is continuously
circulating
with around
the tissue cells. circulated around the body. It
the body
Waste rapidly like
products transports many substances
and continuously.
carbon dioxide can through the body. It also
diffuse from the protects the body from
tissue cells into the Deoxygenated blood disease-causing germs.
blood capillaries. Oxygenated blood
 Blood as a transport medium
• Blood is a fluid tissue, which is made up of the
plasma, red blood cells, white blood
cells and platelets.
• Plasma
o Plasma is a liquid, containing mainly water.
o Plasma has many substances dissolved in it.
These substances are transported in the bloodstream
from one part of the body to the other.
 Blood as a transport medium
• Plasma (functions)
o To transport digested food substances form
the small intestines to other parts of the body.
o To transport carbon dioxide and waste
products formed in cells to the excretory
organs for removal.
o To transport other substances such as
enzymes and special chemicals called
hormones.
 Blood as a transport medium
• Red blood cells
o Red blood cells are biconcave and
have no nucleus.
o They contain a red pigment called
haemoglobin.
o The biconcave shape increases the
surface area of the cell.
o This allows the cells to take in oxygen
or release oxygen at a fast rate.
o Red blood cells transport oxygen from
the lungs to other parts of the body.
 Blood as a transport medium
• White blood cells and platelets
o The white blood cells and platelets do no help
to transport substances.
o White blood cells fight infections while
platelets make blood clot when bleeding
occurs.

Platelets
A white blood cell
 Miscellaneous
• http://www.biologycorner.com/bio1/diffusion.html
• http://www.purchon.com/biology/osmosis.htm
• http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell2_activetra
n.html
• http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_xylemp
hloem.html
• http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_
basics/heart.html