Module 3 - Transport in plants Flashcards
How many transport systems are there in a plant?
Two transport systems
What are the two type types of transport systems?
- Xylemn vessels
- Phloem vessels
What do xylem vessels transport?
They transport water and minerals from root to other plants.
What do phloem vessels transport?
They transport sugars (sucrose) and amino acids made in leaves to all other parts of the plant
what does it mean that most plants are dicotyledenous?
They have 2 seed leaves when they germinate
What does cotyledon mean in plants?
It refers to the first seed leaves present in the embryo
where can gases diffuse in and out of the plant?
gases can diffuse in and out of the plant via the stomata
why do gases diffuse fast in the stomata?
- Leaves are thin and have a big surface area
- fast enough to meet the demands of the leaf cells for oxygen (respiration) and carbon dioxide (photosynthesis)
Can gases diffuse in and out of root hair cells?
- Yes
- they are adapted to have a large surface area in order to achieve this
Do plants have high oxygen requirements than plants? why?
- No
- They are not as active animals
- so they do not need high rate of respiration
Do plants need specialized transport systems?
- yes
- to deliver water, mineral ions and organic solutes to different cells and tissues.
How does water move from the root hair, across the root, up stem, into leaf and evaporate out of the stomata?
- water moves along a water potential gradient through the plant.
- from regions of higher water potential to regions of lower water potential, starting in the root hair cells
- it eventually leaves the plants by evaporating as vapour from the stomata into the air.
What is a transpiration stream?
the movement of water up the plant
what is transpiration?
The evaporation of water vapour from the stomata.
How does water move across the root?
- Mineral ions move into the root hair cells by a combination of facilitated diffusion and active transport
- lowering the water potential inside the cells
- water then moves from the soil into the root hair cell by osmosis due to water potential gradient
what is osmosis?
Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from an area of higher water potential to an area of lower water potential across a selectively permeable membrane.
what is the apoplastic pathway?
Water moves from cell to cell through the cellulose cells 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 a casparian strip?
Water molecules move across the cortex using both of these pathways until it reaches the Endodermis of the root, forming a casparain strip
what happens if the apoplastic pathway is blocked>
- water cannot pass through this, so water has to cross the endodermal cells using the symplast route only
- this slows down the flow of water slightly, and gives the plant some control over which mineral ions pass through
where does water move up?
- the stem
- water will be carried up all the way up the leaves via the xylem vessels inside the cell
what is xylem tissue made up of?
- made up of xylem vessel elements, stacked end to end forming xylem vessels
are xylem living?
- they begin as living cells
- they differentiate and lose all of their contents and lose their end walls to become continous hollow tubes “non-living”
- these vessels are very narrow
what is inside the cellulose cell walls?
- Lignin
what is lignin?
a very strong and waterproof substance
what is there is the walls of the xylem vessels?
Tiny holes called pits in the walls of the xylem vessels