4.

1
4.1 Vascular
Vascular tissues
tissues

Mengangkut air dan garam mineral untuk menjalankan fotosintesis dan pertumbuhan

Transport photosynthetic products to other parts of plant

Transport water for plant cell turgidity and for support

Transport organic acids in plants

Transport phytohormones in plants for response

Transport water in plants for cooling

1. Transport in plants is carried out by vascular tissue which consists of:

a. xylem tissue: transport water and mineral salts from roots to shoots.
b. phloem tissue: transport photosynthetic products and other organic substances from
shoots to other parts.
2. The xylem tissue contains xylem vessels and tracheids as the main transport vessels, whereas
the phloem tissue contains sieve tubes element and companion cells as the main transport
vessels.

• Xylem vessel consists of dead cells at maturity which do not have

cytoplasm.
• These cells are arranged longitudinally from end to end to form a
continuous tube to allow water flow from the roots to the leaves.
• The walls of the xylem vessel have uneven lignin thickening to:
- Give strength to xylem vessels to prevent them collapsing due to
the tension force and pressure changes when water moves through it
- Prevent the plant from being bent
• The cell wall of tracheid also has lignin thickening and pits to allow
water movement to adjacent cells.
4.2 Transport of water and
mineral salts
1. the pathways of water and mineral salts that flow from soil to leaves.

2. Water and mineral salts can be transported from soil to leaves or shoots by root pressure,
capillary action and transpirational pull.

• Force created in root due to the presence of endodermis .

• Endodermal cells transport mineral salts actively from cortex
to vascular tissue of root.
• This produces a concentration gradient between cortex and
vascular tissue.
• Water diffuses from cortex to vascular tissue across the
endodermis.
• Root pressure is created by pushing water up to stem.
Created by cohesive force and adhesive force of water in fine xylem
vessels.

• In leaf, water always evaporates from spongy mesophyll cells

to air spaces and finally to atmosphere via stomata.
• This process is known as transpiration .
• This creates a pulling force which transport water and mineral
salts from root xylem up to shoots continuously due to cohesive
and adhesive forces of water.
• Transpirational pull is the main force in transportation of
water and mineral salts..
3. Overall movement of water and mineral salts

4. Guttation is the process of removing water slowly in the form of droplets through
hydatodes at the margin of leaf.
5. Guttation occurs at night where the rate of transpiration is low and the relative air
humidity is high .
6. Root pressure is the main force in guttation.
7. This phenomenon can be observed at the leaf margin of herbaceous plants .
8. If the plants do not undergo transpiration and guttation,
a. water and mineral salts cannot be transported from root to shoot.
b. the rate of photosynthesis is low due to deficiency of water.
c. growth of plant is retarded because lack of mineral salts.
d. cooling effect of plants is low.

Transport of water and mineral salts

Involves xylem
Root pressure

Occurs at night Occurs all day

Through hydatode Through stomata
In the form of water droplets In the form of water Vapour
 4.3 Translocation
1. Translocation is a transport process of photosynthetic products and other organic
substances from a product source to other parts of plant via phloem .
2. The necessity of translocation in plants:
a. Transport sucrose, a photosynthetic product from leaves to other parts of plant for
metabolism and storage.
b. Transport other organic substances such as amino acids and other organic acids from
shoots to other parts of plant for metabolism and storage.
3. Pathway of translocation:

4. Mesophyll cells have chloroplasts and carry out photosynthesis.

A. Photosynthetic products are transported actively into sieve tube by companion cells .
B. The accumulation organic substances in phloem increases the concentration gradient,
then, water diffuses from surrounding tissue into phloem .
C. Hydrostatic pressure generated transports organic substances to other parts.
D. At other parts of plant such as root, the organic substances in phloem are transported
actively into root cells for metabolism and storage
 4.4 Phytoremediation
1. Phytoremediation is the use of plants to extract or remove toxic substances in soil which can
cause pollution.
2. Examples of toxic substances:
a. Heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, copper, lead, zinc and arsenic are poisonous to
most of the plants and underground animals
b. Carbon monoxide gas and cigarette smoke are harmful to humans.
3. Some of the plants have ability to remove or convert toxic substances to non-toxic
substances.

Sunflower Arsenic , radioactive metals

Centella asiatica Zinc, copper, lead.
Sarcotheca celebica Nickel
Dracaena trifasciata Carbon monoxide , nicotine, radiation

4. Types of phytoremediation:

Phytoextraction

Phytostabilisation

Phytostimulation

Phytovalatilisation

Phytodegradation

5. Phytoremediation can be used to overcome environmental issues such as:

a. Water pollution by organic substances
b. Soil pollution by heavy metals
c. Radioactive pollution