Ruben Debiere

Biology Essay Hw

Introduction:
Plants are classified using many different methods but one of
them is classification on basis of vascular bundles.
Bryophytes are groups of plants which don’t have vascular
bundles and Gymnosperms are some of the plants which have
vascular bundles. Gymnosperms developed vascular bundles
due to a low S.A:V ratio, on the contrary non-vascular
bundles have a high S.A:V ratio.

Paragraph 1-Uptake of water by roots:

Water is first taken into the plant by means of the root hair
cells; the fairly dilute solution containing minerals and ions
found surrounding the root hair cell is taken in by means of
osmosis due to the difference in water potential inside and
outside the cell. The water and mineral ions are then
transported to the xylem vessels through 2 possible pathways.
The two roots that are commonly used are the Symplast and
Apoplast route, Using the Symplast pathway water will cross
one cell wall and one plasma membrane and proceed to go
through the plasmodesmata in the simplest; this pathway
requires plasmodesmata. Using the Apoplast pathway
(preferred pathway) the water will run through the
extracellular continuum formed by the cell walls, using this
pathway water will cross no plasma membranes. Using the
Symplast pathway allows for selective absorption of ions
whilst using the Apoplast pathway offers the least resistance
to water. When water and mineral ion reach the endodermis
the Casparian strip (which is made up of suberin) blocks the
apoplast pathway meaning that all water and minerals that
will be transported up the plant will use the Symplast
pathway. The Casparian strip helps to inhibit the entry of
toxic substances and pathogens before water travels further up
the plant.

Paragraph 2- Ascent of water up the plant

Once the water and mineral ions proceed to make their way
up the plant in the xylem vessels. The xylem is the tissue of
vascular plants that transports water and minerals from the
roots to the stems and leaves, all cells of the xylem are dead
excluding parenchyma cells. The continuous movement of
water up the xylem vessel is due to 2 forces working together,
these two forces are the forces of Adhesion and Cohesion.
The force of Adhesion in water is the tendency of water to
form hydrogen bond with other polar substances; this ensures
a strong force of attraction between water molecules and the
walls of the xylem vessels. The force of Cohesion in water is
the tendency of water molecules to attract each other and form
hydrogen bonds; this ensures that the movement of water up
the xylem vessel is done in one continuous stream. The force
pulling the xylem sap up the plant is generated by
transpirational pull; this is achieved through loss of water
from the stomata through transpiration. The loss of water
creates a tension force which pulls the water column upwards.
Paragraph 3- Movement of water in the leaves
Out of the three possible pathways(that can be seen in figure
1) water moves osmotically from the xylem vessels into the
mesophyll cells of the leaf through the Apoplast pathway.
This pathway most commonly used due to the speed at which
water and minerals can be transported, one of the drawbacks
of this pathway is the lack of selection but this is mitigated
due to the passage through the Casparian strip prior to the
movement up the xylem. The stomata located in the leaf are
partly responsible for the movement of water up the plant. A
stoma is a pore surrounded by a pair of guard cells are
themselves surrounded by epidermal cells. The guard cells are
responsible for the opening and closing of the stoma; these are
specialised for this function by having a thick inner cell wall
which allows for elasticity. The opening and closing of a
stoma depends on the turgor pressure, caused by the osmotic
flow of water in the guard cells. When the guard cells are
turgid, they expand resulting in the stoma opening. When the
guard cells lose water, they become flaccid leading to the
stoma closing. The air spaces of the stoma increase the
Surface Area of the leaf interior, this is important for Co2
exchange but also for the evaporation of water. The
evaporation of water creates tension which is needed to pull
the water column up the xylem and up the leaf veins.
Conclusion:
Water is necessary for the survival of a plant, water also
transports mineral ions that are used in many of the plants
processes, therefore for a plants survival Osmosis is needed.
Water enters through the roots by Osmosis and navigates
through the many membranes also through osmosis. A
process called Transpiration helps to force water up the plant
(by the theory explained in Paragraph 2) against the force of
gravity, Transpiration is the loss of water in the form of water
vapor, mostly from the stomata in leaves, but also through
evaporation from the surfaces of leaves, flowers, and stems.
Thanks to Osmosis water can reach every cell that needs it on
going up the plant; thus also transporting minerals across the
plant.