3.3 transport in plants Flashcards
what does a multicellular plant need a supply of
oxygen, water, nutrients and minerals
why do plants need a transport system
to move water and minerals from roots up to leaves
to move sugars from leaves to the rest of the plant
what does the transport system in plants consist of
specialised vascular tissue:
- water and soluble mineral ions travel up xylem tissue
- assimilates (sugars) travel up or down phloem tissue
define dicotyledonous plants
plants with two seed leaves and a branching pattern of veins in the leaf
how are the xylem and phloem found
in vascular bundles
may also contain other tissues (collenchyma and sclerenchyma) that give strength and support plant
how can you identify the xylem and phloem in a young root
xylem is in the centre of a young root in the shape of an X
phloem is found in between the armies of the X-shaped xylem tissue
what can be found around the vascular bundle in a young root
endodermis and just inside it is a layer of meristem cells
where can the vascular bundles be found in the stem
near the outer edge of the stem
xylem is found towards the inside of each vascular bundle
phloem is found towards the outside of each vascular bundle
in between xylem and phloem there is a layer of cambium
cambium is layer of meristem cells which divide to produce new xylem and phloem
how can you find the xylem and phloem in a leaf
vascular bundles form the midrib and veins of a leaf
the xylem is located on top of the phloem
define companion cells
cells that help load sucrose into sieve tubes
define sieve tube elements
make up tubes in phloem tissue that carry sap up and down plant- they are separated by sieve plates
what does the xylem tissue consist of
vessels to carry the water and dissolved ions
fibres to help support the plant
living parenchyma cells which act as packing tissue to separate and support vessels
how do xylem vessels develop
- lignin impregnates walls of cells making them waterproof which kills the cells
- the cell walls and contents decay leaving a long column of no content
- lignin strengthens the cells walls and prevents collapsing
- the lignin thickening forms a pattern which prevents the vessel from being too rigid and allows some flexibility
- in some places, lignification is not complete forming bordered pits which allow water to leave one vessel and pass into the next
how is the xylem adapted to its function
- forms continuous column
- tubes are narrow so water column doesn’t break easily
- bordered pits allow water to move from one vessel to another
- lignin deposited in walls in spiral allows it to stretch as the plant grows
why is the flow of water in the xylem not impeded
- there are no cross walls
- there are no cell contents
- lignin thickening prevents the wall from collapsing
what is the structure of the phloem
consists of sieve tubes which are made up of sieve tube elements and companion cells
describe sieve tube elements
they are lined up end to end to form sieve tubes
at the end of sieve tube elements there are sieve plates-keep lumen open
the perforations in the sieve plate allow. movement of sap from one element to the next
have very thin walls
describe companion cells
small cells, w large nucleus and dense cytoplasm
numerous mitochondria to produce ATP needed for active processes
they carry out metabolic processes needed to load assimilates actively into the sieve tubes
define plasmodesmata
gaps in the cell wall containing cytoplasm that connects two cells
what are the 3 pathways taken by water
apoplast pathway
symplast pathway
vacuolar pathway
describe the apoplast pathway
water passes through the spaces in the cell walls between the cells
describe the symplast pathway
plasma membrane —-> cytoplasm —–> plasmodesmata from one cell to the next
describe the vacuolar pathway
plasma membrane —-> cytoplasm —-> Vacuole—–> cytoplasm—–> plasmodesmata to next cell