TRANSPORT IN PLANTS

THE TRANSPORT IN PLANTS

The main activity going inside the plant is photosynthesis, during daylight, all
the leaves of a plant are actively photosynthesizing and therefore need all
the substances necessary to carry out this process. Transport in plants is thus
related to photosynthesis as substances are transported to and away from
leaves.
The transport system in plants consists of bundles of tubes in the stem,
branches and roots. These tubes are called xylem and phloem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtuX7H05tmQ
THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN PLANTS
CROSS SECTION OF A ROOT, STEM AND LEAF
 XYLEM

Xylem is a type of tissue in vascular plants that transports water and some
nutrients from the roots to the leaves.

• The main function of xylem is to transport water, and some soluble nutrients
including minerals and inorganic ions, upwards from the roots to the rest of the
plant.
• Xylem vessels are long and very narrow, hollow tubes formed from columns of
elongated cells that are joined and to end. The end walls of the cells have
disappeared, so a long, open tube is formed. These cells are all dead and
contain no cytoplasm or nuclei. The cell walls become thickened with tough
lignin. Lignin is very strong and so xylem vessels help to support the plant by
keeping them upright. Wood is composed almost entirely of lignified xylem.
 FUNCTION OF THE XYLEM
• Xylem cells form long tubes that transport materials, and the mixture of water
and nutrients that flows through the xylem cells is called xylem sap.
• These substances are transported through passive transport, so the process
doesn’t require energy.
• The phenomenon that allows xylem sap to flow upwards against gravity is
called capillary action.
• This occurs when surface tension makes liquid move upward. Water is also
aided in moving up through the xylem by adhering to the xylem cells.
However, it gets harder to work against gravity to transport materials as a
plant grows taller, so xylem sets an upper limit on the growth of tall trees.
Transpiration is the evaporation of water from a plant. It is important
since:
• It pulls water up to the leaves for photosynthesis.
• The moving water carries dissolved minerals salts up to the leaves.
• The evaporation of water cools the plant.
The rate at which a plant takes up water depends on the rate at which it
is lost from the plant, called the transpiration rate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv_0udatlh8
Factors affecting the transpiration rate are:
• Temperature – with high temperatures, as on a hot day, evaporation occurs rapidly. Transpiration rate
increases as temperature increases.
• Humidity – with high humidity, the air is almost saturated with water vapour. So the concentration
gradient of water between the air spaces and the outside air is low and the rate of evaporation of water
through the stomata is slow. Transpiration decreases as humidity increases.
• Air movement (wind) – In windy conditions, water vapour is carried rapidly away from the leaves and
the rate of transpiration is fast. During still conditions, the water vapour remains around the leaves and
transpiration is low. Transpiration increases as wind speed increases.
• Light intensity – During bright light, the stomata are fully opened. This may be to supply carbon dioxide
for photosynthesis. With stomata full open, the rate of transpiration can be high. With dim light, the
stomata almost close and transpiration is slow.
Plants that live in places where water is
in short supply show striking
adaptations.
These adaptations:
• Reduce the transpiration rate
• Maximise water uptake from the
environment
Such plants are called xerophytes.
XEROPHYTIC PLANTS
 Xerophytes

Xerophytes may have any of the following features:

• fine spike-like leaves to reduce the number of stomata and or reduce
transpiration.
• thickened stems or leaves capable of storing large amounts of water.
• an extensive root system to absorb water quickly when it rains.
• a thick epidermis covered with a thick waxy cuticle to reduce water loss and
reflect light and infra-red radiation (so the plant remains cooler).
• the ability to trap carbon dioxide at night so that the stomata can be closed
during the day.
• other features such as sunken stomata, rolled leaves and interlocking hair.
Other plants are grouped as follows:

Mesophytes are Hydrophytes are Halophytes are plants that

plants that lives in plants that live in very live in water with a high
areas where water is wet, freshwater concentration of salt, such as
readily available. environments such as in salt marshes, swamps or
ponds, lakes and rivers areas close to the sea.
Phloem tubes are also made up of cells
joined end to end. However these end walls
do not break down completely, but become
perforated with small holes. These
perforated and walls are called sieve plates.
Each cell, called a sieve tube element,
contains living cytoplasm, but no nucleus.
The cell walls do not contain lignin. Each
sieve tube element has a companion cell next
to it. The companion cell has a nucleus which
probably controls both cells.
SBA #12
TITLE: Germination
AIM: Suggest a suitable aim for this experiment
METHOD:
 Three bean seeds are soaked in water for 24 hours.
 The wall of the beaker is lined with several layers of wet tissue paper.
 The seeds are placed between the layer of tissue and the wall of the beaker.
 1cm depth of water was poured in the beaker to keep the paper moist.
 When the radical reach a length of about 1cm the seeds are removed carefully and mark along each radical at
2mm intervals using a marker.
 The seeds are returned to the beaker making sure the weight of the seedling is supported by the testa and not
radical.
 For the next six days, sketches of each bean seedling showing how ink has separated and measured. Sketches
are arrange in a table.
DISCUSSION:
 What are the germination, radicle and plumule?
 Explain the observations drawing in the table of results.
 Conditions required for germination
 Limitations of the experiment
2010.2