3.1.3: transport in plants Flashcards
how do gases diffuse in and out of leaves?
via the stomata
what does the xylem transport?
water and mineral ions
what does the phloem transport?
sugars
what is the transpiration stream?
the movement of water up a plant
how do mineral ions move into the root hair cells?
a combination of facilitated diffusion and active transport
how are root hair cells adapted for its function?
have a large surface area and have very thin walls
what is the apoplastic pathway?
water moves from cell to cell through the cellulose walls
what is the symplastic pathway?
water moves from cell to cell through the cytoplasm, then via connections from one cytoplasm to another
what is the casparian strip?
a waxy strip in the cell wall (suberin)
can water pass through the casparian strip?
no because it’s waterproof
what does the casparian strip do to the flow of water and what does this allow?
slows it down, and gives the plant some control over which mineral ions pass through
what is xylem tissue made from?
many xylem vessel elements
what substances are there in the xylem wall?
cellulose and lignin
how is the xylem adapted for transporting water?
has lignin in the walls, which is strong and waterproof and has tiny holes called pits which allow water to move sideways into neighboring vessels if there are blockages
what mechanisms are at work when water moves up the stem?
root pressure, cohesion forces and adhesion forces
what is mass flow?
a whole column of water moving up together
what is root pressure?
the active pumping of minerals into the xylem by root cells that produces a movement of water into the xylem by osmosis
what is cohesion tension theory?
due to water being polar, they can attract each other and form hydrogen bonds. this means that as they move up the xylem, they will attract and pull up more water, due to cohesion forces and hydrogen bonding
what are adhesion forces?
where water molecules are attracted to different molecules and hydrogen bonds form between molecules, causing it to crawl up the xylem wall
what is the capillary affect?
more water molecules are in contact with the xylem walls because it is so narrow, increasing the adhesion forces
what drives the movement of water up the plant?
the evaporation of vapour from the stomata and leaves
is water transport an active or passive process and why?
passive because it doesn’t require atp at all
how does transpiration occur?
water from the xylem vessels enters the mesophyll cells, making the spaces saturated with water vapour. these air spaces are close to the stomata so the vapour evaporates out, by diffusion, down a water potential gradient
how have plants adapted to minimize water vapour losses during transpiration?
a waxy cuticle, stomata being on the underside of leaves, stomatas being closed at night and plants losing their leaves in winter
where are the vascular bundles located in stems and why?
around the edge to give strength and support
where are the vascular bundles located in roots and why?
in the middle to help it withstand the tugging strains while in windy conditions
where are the vascular bundles located in leaves and why?
in the midrib of a dicot leaf to support the structure of the leaf