Mass transport in plants Flashcards
What does xylem transport
Water in stems and leaves
theory associated with xylem
Cohesion-tension theory
What does the phloem do
Transports organic substances
Theory associated with phloem
Mass flow hypothesis for the mechanism of translocation in plants
What process is the uptake of water
Passive via osmosis
Uptake of minerals is
Passive or active
Diffusion or active transport
Two pathways that water can take to move across the cortex
Apoplast
Symplast
What structures does the water from the apoplast pathway move through
Spaces though cellulose walls, dead cells and hollow tubes in xylem
Which pathway is faster
Apoplast
What is the casparin strip
Impassible barrier
What happens when water reqaches the endodermis
Casparian strip blocks pathway of apoplast
What does symplast pathway involve
Cytoplasm
Plasmodemata
Vacuole of cells
What does the water move by in symplast and apoplast pathway
Apoplast = diffusion
Symplast = osmosis
How does the water move in the symplast
Water moves via osmosis across the partially permeable cell membrane into vacuole and between cells through plasmodesmata
How does water move in the plant in transpiration
Water potential gradient from soil (high water potential) to the atmosphere (low)
Where do plants lose water
Stomata
What is transpiration
Loss of water via stomata by diffusion
Why is transpiration important
Cool plant via exporative cooling
Supplies plant with water also hekping the transport of ions
What is cohesion
water molecules form h2 bonds between one another and stick together
Whats the transpiration pull
Column of water is pulled up xylem as a result of transpiration
What is the surface area in plants
total area of the organism exposed to external environment
What is the volume of a plant
total internal volume of the organism (space inside an organism)
Interaction between surface area and volume
surface increases volume decreases
why do they interact this way
volume increases more rapidly than surface does
What happens to the water potential of mesophyll cells
when evaporation occurs in their air spaces, they have a lower water potential
so water enters by osmosis from neighbouring cells
Process of how water moves up the stem of the xylem
1) transpiration of mesophyll cells
2) H2 bonds form between water molecules, known as cohesion
3) Water forms unbroken column across mesophyll cells down the xylem
4) Water evaporates from mesophyll cells, drawing water up behind stomata
5) Transpiration pull occurs
6) Transpiration pull puts xylem under tension, cohesion-tension theory