Transport in plants Flashcards
why do plants need transport systems?
- they are large so have a small SA:V ratio - can’t rely on diffusion alone for transport of molecules
- underground parts eg. root tissues can’t photosynthesise so absorb nutrients by active transport - high rate of metabolic reactions so sugars must be transported to them
dicotyledenous plant
- two cotyledons
structure of phloem
- sieve tube elements - most of living organelles lost to make room for phloem sap - separated by sieve plates - allow sap to pass between cells
- companion cell attached to each sieve tube element with channels called plasmodestmata - ATP and proteins can move into sieve tube element cells
- contain fibres (long and narrow) and sclereids (variety of shapes) which have thickened cell walls containing lignin
structure of xylem vessels
- walls made of lignin arranged in spirals or rings - impermeable to prevent substances passing through walls, help maintain structure and allow flexibility under transpiration pull
- regions of cell wall free of lignin - pits allow water and dissolved substances to pass between vessels
- made of dead cells - living contents die and end walls between cells break down
structure of xylem fibres
- very large amounts of lignin
- interior contents die
- provide mechanical support for plant
- do not transport water or mineral ions
xylem function
carries water and mineral ions from the roots of the plant through the stem to the leaves
phloem function
transports organic molecules such as sugars produced by photosynthesis in the leaves - up or down the plant
vascular bundle in the root
- epidermis on outside of root
- cortex - thick layer of cells containing parenchyma cells
- vascular bundle surrounded by endodermis
- xylem in centre - strong - prevents plant being pulled out of soil
- phloem surrounding xylem
vascular bundle in stem
- vascular bundles arranged in a ring on outside of stem - helps withstand bending from wind
- centre of stem called pith - contains parenchyma cells
- around edge is epidermis and cortex
- phloem on outside, xylem on inside
vascular bundle in leaf
- xylem at upper part, phloem at lower part
- photosynthesis takes place in palisade mesophyll - upper part of leaf
adaptations of root hair cells
- densely packed - large SA:V ratio
- surface consists of only cell wall and cell membrane - thin
- soil contains Mg ions - lower con. in soil than root hair so uses active transport to move them into cells
- water potential lower in root hair cell than soil - contains dissolved minerals - water moves in by osmosis
how does water move from root hair cells to xylem?
- moves through root cortex to xylem by symplast or apoplast pathway
symplast pathway
- water moves from cytoplasm of one cell to cytoplasm of another through plasmodesmata linking cells
driven by water potential gradient between root hair cells and xylem - water continually moving into root hair cells so high water pot. than cortex cells - slow - obstructed by organelles
apoplast pathway
- water moves through cell walls and spaces between cells
- cell walls have relatively open structure so water can move easily between cellulose fibres
- as water is carried away in xylem, more water moves along apoplast pathway due to cohesion
- less resistance than symplast
casparian strip
- made of waterproof material - suberin
- water can no longer move through apoplast pathway
- instead water moves through cell membrane and into cytoplasm - symplast
- forcing all water into cytoplasm - cell membrane can control which substances entering xylem
root pressure and how to stop it
- cells in endodermis get mineral ions into xylem by active transport - lowers water potential, causing more water to move into xylem vessels by osmosis
- active process requiring respiration
- inhibit respiration using cyanide - root pressure stops
- exclude oxygen and stop aerobic respiration - root pressure stops
function of waxy cuticle
reduce water loss from surface of leaf by evaporation
how does CO2 get into leaf?
diffuses from external air through stomata
why are cells in the leaf covered in thin layer of water?
- water evaporates from surface of cells
- internal leaf spaces have high conc water vapour
- water vapour conc in external air is low so water vapour diffuses out of leaf
- this is transpiration
- water pot. of cells in leaf decreases - causes water to move from adjacent cells into leaf cells
, water pot of adjacent cells decreases and water moves into them from the xylem