Plant transport Flashcards
how does water enter the root hair cell from the soil
enters by osmosis
high water potential to lower water potential
down water potential gradient
how are root hair cells adapted for the absorption of water
increased SA for absorption
thin surface layer ( cell wall + membrane) - so reduced diffusion pathway
how do plants use water
-lost in transpiration
-provide water for photosynthesis turgidity and other metabolic processes
in which direction does water move from the root hair cell
move across parenchyma cells (cortex)
the to the xylem
what two methods can water move across the root to the xylem
-symplast pathway
-apoplast pathway
what is the symplast pathway
-water travels as a result of osmosis
-passes through the cytoplasm of the cells
water enters the symplast pathway by osmosis from high WP in the soil to low WP in the cell through partially permeable mem
passes into cytoplasm and continues from one cell to the next via plasmodesmata - connect the cells of cell wall
water pass along cytoplasm cells by osmosis until the xylem is reached
what is the apoplast pathway
movement of water through the cell wall
water is drawn along in a continuous column due to cohesion
this creates a tension which draws water along
how does water enter into the xylem vessels
salts from endodermis actively pumped in xylem
lowers WP which draws water in from high WP from endodermis and pericycle - high pressure in xylem - causes root pressure increases and water moves up - more water then can move in - water molecules stick together ( cohesion )
what is the evidence for root pressure
-root pressure increases with a rise in temp and decreases with decrease in temp
- metabolic inhibitors cause root pressure to cease - these prevent energy release by respiration
- decrease in availability of oxygen and respiratory substrates causes a reduction in root pressure
how does water move up the xylem
Cohesion - stick to wall
Adhesion - xylem narrows
Root pressure - push up
Tension - pull up
how does tension work
-water lost in transpiration pulls water up xylem
-sucked up and also pulled down by gravity
-this causes tension
- water moves down pressure gradient from high to low - by mass flow
- pull creates continuous stream of water
how is tension caused
when water evaporates water in xylem pulled up as force is generated - can be called negative pressure
- as passes from atmospheric pressure in roots to lower atmos pressure in leaves
how does transpiration affect flow of water
greater the water loss the faster water is pulled up - this force causes a decrease in stem diameter and trunk diameter
how does weather affect tension
humid - reduced
dry/hot/windy days - maximum
how does cohesion work
water molecules stick together - force of attraction created by formation of H bonds
what is cohesion-tension theory
force combined of transpiration and cohesion - principle mechanism responsible for water movement
how does adhesion work
narrowness of xylem means there is a large SA:V and lots of water is in contact with xylem
-attraction of water to another material = adhesion
-the narrower the tube the more water that can stick
what does capillarity mean
the narrower the tube the more water that can stick