Lecture 1:

Chapter 29 (+28)
Resource Acquisition, Nutrition and
Transport in Vascular Plants
 Historical tidbits…
• Marcello Malpighi…1661
• T. Mason and E. Maskell….1928
 Historical tidbits…
• Marcello Malpighi…1661
• T. Mason and E. Maskell….1928
 Historical tidbits…
• Marcello Malpighi…1661
• T. Mason and E. Maskell….1928
Essential Elements in Plants
Know they are essential when they are
missing…
An overview…Fig. 29.2
An overview…Fig. 29.2
Plant nutrition often involves relationships
with other organisms (figure 29.13)
Fig. 29.14…root nodules with Rhizobium
bacteria
Fig. 29.14…root nodules with Rhizobium
bacteria
 Mycorrhizae…fungus roots
• Fungus fed a constant stream of sugars produced by
plant via photosynthesis
• Plant’s surface area for water uptake is increased by
association with fungus

• AND?
– Mineral uptake from soil also facilitated by fungus
– Fungus secretes growth factors which promote growth of
plant roots and antibiotics to fight against soil pathogens
Mycorrhizae, fig. 29.15
 But the story is never simple…
• Plants have evolved other ingenious ways to
acquire the limited resources they require
One beast’s waste is another’s gourmet
meal!
 Success of plants depends on…
Their ability:

1.
2.
Natural Selection favoured plants with…

1.
2.
3.
 Success of plants depends on…
Their ability:

1. To gather and transport water and minerals

2. To take up carbon dioxide; capture sunlight; produce carbohydrates and

to transport them

Natural Selection favoured plants with…

1.
2.
3.
 Success of plants depends on…
Their ability:
1. To gather and transport water and minerals
2. To take up carbon dioxide; capture sunlight; produce
carbohydrates and to transport them

Natural Selection favoured plants with…

1. Leaf design & placement & number -> maximize

photosynthesis
 Success of plants depends on…
Their ability:
1. To gather and transport water and minerals
2. To take up carbon dioxide; capture sunlight; produce carbohydrates and to transport
them

Natural Selection favoured plants with…

1. Leaf design & placement & number -> maximize photosynthesis

2. Adaptations to reduce/limit water loss through leaves
3. Structural features for
a. upright growth
b. anchorage and absorption
c. internal transport
The Three Basic Plant Organs: Roots, Stems
and Leaves fig. 28.3
The Three Tissue Systems, Fig.28.8
(refer also to Fig. 28.9)
 Tissues…
• Each plant organ has dermal, vascular and
ground tissue.
– Each forms a tissue system
• Note: vascular tissue is arranged differently in
each organ
• Ground:
– Pith (internal to vascular)
– Cortex ( external to vascular)
• Collenchyma (flexible support)
• Parenchyma (metabolic; storage)
• Sclerenchyma (rigid support (eg. Lignin)
• Dermal:
– Epidermis – closely packed cells
• Protective cover
• Absorption
• Can be covered by a waxy coating = cuticle
• Vascular:
– Xylem and phloem
– Each with specialized cell types
Leaf design…a compromise between sunlight
absorption and water loss
 Architecture and Light Capture
Fig. 29.3
Phyllotaxy, the arrangement of leaves on a stem, is specific to each species.
Most angiosperms have leaves emerging 137.5O from site of a previous leaf.
 Leaf Index Area…
• Light absorption is affected by the leaf area index,
the ratio of total upper leaf surface of a plant divided
by the surface area of land on which it grows.

• Leaf orientation affects light absorption of all lower

leaves on a stem.

• Leaf placement and coverage designed to reduce

self-shading.
 Transport in Plants…
Occurs at several levels:

1.

2.

3.
 Transport in Plants…
Occurs at several levels:

1. Uptake and release by individual cells

2. Short distance transport from cell to cell (3 options)

a. apoplastic route
b. symplastic route
c. transmembrane route

3. Long distance bulk flow (at level of entire plant via xylem & phloem)
(related to pressure gradients)
 Fig. 29.4 Plant cells are more
compartmentalized than animal cells
Cells of the xylem…fig. 28.9
Cells of the phloem…fig. 28.9