plant transport Flashcards
WHY DO PLANTS NEED A TRANSPORT SYSTEM?
- Gaseous exchange do not need a transport system – they can diffuse
between cells - But transport systems are needed for distribution of water, inorganic and organic nutrients, as well as other substances such as plant hormones.
Transport systems are needed for the following reasons:
- To move substances from where they are absorbed to where they are needed
- To move substances from where they are produced to where they are needed for metabolism
- To move substances to a different part of the plant for storage
main organs involved in transport within plants.
Stems, roots and leaves
Organs are composed of more than one
tissue
Tissues
collections of cells specialised for a particular function.
The cells may be of the same type[simple tissues
such as parenchyma, or of different types[complex tissues], as in xylem and phloem.
plant tissues
dermal tissue
ground tissue
vascular tissue
meristematic tissue
dermal tissue types
epidermis
endodermis
epiodermis
- A continuous layer on the outside of the plant, one cell thick, that provides protection.
- covered with a waxy cuticle which is waterproof
and helps to protect the organ from drying out and from infection.
epidermis in leaves
it also has pores called stomata which
allow entry of carbon dioxide for photosynthesi
epidermis in roots
it may have extensions called root hairs
to increase the surface area for absorption of
water and mineral salts.
endodermis
It surrounds the vascular tissue in stems and roots;
one cell thick;
High-power detail of a transverse section
of leaf epidermis
4 types of ground tissue
1) parenchyma cells
2) collenchyma cells
3) sclerenchyma
4) cambium
Parenchyma cells:
Living cells; thin-walled; used as packing tissue;
support plant by being turgid; helps in photosynthesis; forms cortex in
root and stem, and pith in stem; storage; e.g. spongy and palisade
mesophyll cells
Collenchyma cells:
modified form of parenchyma with extra cellulose
deposited at the corners of the cells; provides extra strength; midrib of
leaves contains collenchym
. Sclerenchyma
a type of plant tissue that provides mechanical
strength to various parts of the plant. Cells with thick, lignified cell walls.
These cells are dead at maturity and contribute to the rigidity and
protection of plant
. Cambium:
a cylindrical layer of meristematic cells located between the
xylem and phloem; responsible for producing new xylem and phloem cells
The mesophyll is made up of
specialised parenchyma cells found between the
lower and upper epidermis of the leaf
mesophyll is specialised for
photosynthesis and therefore contain chloroplasts
2 types of mesophyll
palisade mesophyll and spongy mesophyll
Spongy mesophyll is so-called because
in three dimensions it is spongy in
appearance, because it has many large air
spaces between the cells.
Palisade mesophyll cells are near the
upper surface of the leaf where they receive more
sunlight.
* They therefore contain more chloroplasts
than spongy mesophyll cells
Pericycle:
This is a layer of cells, one to several cells thick, just inside the
endodermis and next to the vascular tissue
pericycle in roots
it is one cell thick and new roots can grow from this layer.
pericycle in stems
it is formed from a tissue called sclerenchyma
pericycle has
dead, lignified cells for extra strength.
MERISTEMATIC TISSUES
A meristem is a collection of undifferentiated cells that can
divide and become other specialized types of cells in the plant.
Meristem tissue is important because
it allows for plants to
grow and repair damaged tissue.
2 transport systems
xylem and phloem
xylem
carries mainly water and inorganic ions (mineral salts) from roots to
the parts above ground. The xylem sap contained in the xylem can move in only one direction, from roots to the rest of the plant.
phloem
The second system is phloem. This carries substances made by
photosynthesis from the leaves to other areas of the plant. At any one time, phloem sap can be moving in different directions in different parts of the phloem.
DISTRIBUTION OF XYLEM AND PHLOEM IN DICOT STEM
xylem and phloem distributed in a specific pattern;
scattered as vascular bundles in a circular arrangement; vascular cambium seen in between xylem and phloem; xylem inside and phloem outside the ring
in dicot stem
DISTRIBUTION OF XYLEm and pHLOEM IN DICOT root
vascular tissue surrounded by endodermis; xylem at
the centre; phloem seen surrounding the xylem; inner layer of
endodermis is the pericycle;
in dicot root
DISTRIBUTION OF XYLEm and pHLOEM IN DICOT leaves
Xylem and phloem distributed within the leaf
veins, xylem on the upper side of the veins, while phloem located on
the lower side of the leaf veins;
dicot leaves
Water always move from a region of
higher water
potential to a region of lower water potential
driving force of water
– evaporation from leaves – transpiration
evaporation starts in
mesophyll cells and through diffusion water vapor moves out
This reduces the wp in leaves, thus creating a
water potential gradient throughout the plant
* Water moves down the water potential gradient moving from soil into the xylem tissue in the centre of root, then to stem and leaves through xylem
Movement of water from leaf to atmosphere –
TRANSPIRATION
Mesophyll cells have many air spaces around them – mesophyll
cell walls are wet [EVAPORATION] – air inside the leaf is
usually saturated with water vapour – air inside leaf is in
direct contact with air outside the leaf through small pores
called stomata – there is usually a water potential gradient
between the air inside the leaf [higher wp] and the air outside
the leaf [lower wp] – water vapour diffuses down the potential
gradient called transpiration
Transpiration
loss of water vapour from a plant / leaves /
aerial plant parts, to its environment, by diffusion down a water
potential gradient; most transpiration takes place through the
stomata in the leaves.
Factors affecting transpiration rate:
humidity
light intensity
wind speed
how does humidity affect transpiration rate
Humidity: as humidity in the atmosphere increases, rate of transpiration decreases
how does wind speed affect transpiration rate
Transpiration may also be increased by an increase in wind speed or rise in
temperature
how does light intensity affect transpiration rate
As light intensity increases, rate of transpiration increases [photosynthesis increases –
need more CO2 – opens stomata , for intake of CO2 – water vapour escapes]
In hot conditions, transpiration plays an important
role in cooling the leaves.
As water evaporates
from the cell walls inside the leaf, it absorbs heat
energy from these cells, thus reducing their
temperature.
If the rate at which water vapour is lost by transpiration
exceeds the rate at which a plant can take up water from the
soil, then the
amount of water in its cells decreases. The cells
become less turgid and the plant wilts as the soft parts such
as leaves lose the support provided by turgid cells. In this
situation the plant will also close its stomata
Measuring the rate of transpiration
- rate at which
transpiration is
happening directly
affects the rate of
water uptake - The apparatus used
to measure the rate
at which water is
taken up by a plant
is called a
potometer
XEROPHYTES
plants that live in places where water is in
short supply.
xerophytes are adapted to
minimize water loss
xerophyte examples
marram grass, opuntia, phlomis, euphorbia
marram grass xerophytic adaptations
– roll up, due to
shrinkage of hinge cells, exposing water
proof layer called cuticle to the air outside.
SUNKEN STOMATA - Stomata are found only
in the upper epidermis and therefore open
into the enclosed humid space in the
middle of the ‘roll’ ; HAIRS / TRICHOMES -
trap humid air close to the leaf, thus reducing
the steepness of the diffusion gradient for
water vapour
marram grass
Phlomis
a small shrub that lives in dry habitats in the Mediterranean
regions of Europe and North Africa.
Scanning electron micrograph of a TS through a Phlomis italica leaf
showing its trichomes (×20). These are tiny hair-like structures that
act as a physical barrier to the loss of water, like the marram grass
hairs.
Opuntia
a cactus with flattened, photosynthetic stems that
store water. The leaves are reduced to spines, which lessens the
surface area from which transpiration can take place and
protects the plant from being eaten by animals.Its leaves
are in the form of needles, greatly reducing the surface area
available for water loss. In addition, they are covered in a layer of
waterproof wax and have sunken stomata, as shown here
opuntia
phlomis
The cardon Euphorbia
a canariensis grows in dry areas of Tenerife. It
has swollen, succulent stems that store water and
photosynthesise. The stems are coated with wax, which cuts
down water loss. The leaves are extremely small.
cardon euphorbia
Xylem tissue has two functions,
structural support and
transport.
xylem contains several different types of cells so its a
complex tissue
In flowering plants, xylem tissue
contains
(i) Xylem vessel with vessel elements
(ii) Xylem tracheids
(iii) fibres
(iv) parenchyma cells
Vessel elements and tracheids
cells that are involved with the
transport of water
Sclerenchyma fibres
elongated cells with lignified walls that help
to support the plant. They are dead cells; they have no living
contents.
Parenchyma cells:
living cells; thin walled; used as packing tissue;
metabolically active; storage [starch and fat]; helps in short distance
transportation of water; supports, when fully turgid; air spaces in
between these cells allow gas exchange; water and mineral salts are
transported through the walls and through the living contents of the
cells; forms the cortex in roots and stems, and the pith in stems; in
leaves – modified to palisade and mesophyll cells
Vessels are made up of many
elongated cells called vessel
elements, arranged end to end. The end walls of neighbouring
vessel elements break down completely, to form a continuous
tube
Each vessel element begins life as a
normal plant cell in whose wall
lignin is laid down.
Lignin is
a very hard, strong substance, which is impermeable to
water
As lignin builds up around the cell,
the contents of the cell die, leaving
a completely empty space, or lumen, inside.
Cellulose lining is
hydrophilic to maintain a column of water
xylem vessel structure
non living
thick cell wall wall made up of cellulose
cell wall with lignin
no end walls
large lumen
pits
how does xylem being non living ?
no cytoplasm, no organelles, hollow lumen,
therefore, greater volume of water can flow without resistance
how does xylem being thick cell made up of cellulose ?
structural support, allows
adhesion of water
how does the cell wall with lignin affect xylem
: prevents inward collapse as xylem
vessel is under tension; lignin is a strong, hard, water proof
substance
how does the no end walls affect xylem
less resistance to flow of water; forms a
continuous tube joined end to end
how does the large lumen affect xylem
large volume of water can be transported
how does the pits affect xylem
formed from plasmodesmata; because no lignin deposits
in plasmodesmata – leading to formation of pits; allows lateral
movement of water to connect to all parts of the plant; if there
is an air bubble blocking vessel, pits allow water to move into
another xylem vessel and bypass airlock
pits in cells
in those parts of the original cell walls where groups of
plasmodesmata are found, no lignin is laid down. These non-lignified
areas can be seen as ‘gaps’ in the thick walls of the xylem vessel, and
are called pit
pits are not
pores; they are crossed by
permeable, unthickened cellulose cell wall. The pits in one cell link
with those in the neighbouring cells, so water can pass freely from
one cell to the next.
xylem
What keep the water in a xylem
vessel moving as a continuous
column?
- Cohesion and adhesion help to keep
the water in a xylem vessel moving as
a continuous column
cohesion
– refers to the property of
water molecules attracted to each
other by hydrogen bonding
adhesion
refers to the property of
water molecules attracted to the
cellulose and lignin in the walls of the
xylem vessels.
FROM XYLEM ACROSS THE LEAF
As water evaporates from the cell walls of mesophyll cells, more water is drawn into the walls to replace it.
* This water comes from the xylem vessels in the leaf.
* Water constantly moves out of these vessels through the unlignified parts of the xylem vessel walls.
* The water then moves down a water potential gradient from cell to cell in the leaf along two possible pathways