Transport In Plants Flashcards
Why do plants need a transport system
Underground parts of plants do not photosynthesise- they need glucose transporting to them and need to remove waste, hormones need to be transported to where they will have an effect and mineral ions need to be transported as well
Why do single called plants have no transport system
They have a large SA:Vol ratio
How do large plants exchange gases
Through openings called lenticels
Oxygen enters for aerobic respiration
What is the food store in dicots
Cotyledons x2
What is the food stores in monocots
Endosperm
Describe the seeds of a dicotyledonous plant
They make seeds which consist of two cotyledons
What is a cotyledon
Organs that act as a food store for the developing embryo and form the first leaves
What is the name of the transport vessels that run through dicots
Vascular system
What does xylem transport
Water and mineral ions up the plant
What does the phloem transport
Sucrose and amino acids both up and down the plants
Where are meristematic cells found
At growing points in plant
Stem apex and root tip
What can cambium specialise into
Xylem and phloem cells
What are the microscopic channels in the cellulose cell wall of phloem called
Plasmodesmata
Describe the structure of phloem tissue and how this improves its function
Sieve tune elements are living cells that are joined end to end so diluted can be transported long distances
Sieve plates have perforations so solutes can pass from one sieve tube to another
Cytoplasm is pushed close to walls
Few organelles and no nucleus
How are companion cells specialised
They have many mitochondria to allow for more atp to be produced for use in active transport
What is source site
Where assimilated are loaded into the phloem
What is the sink place
Where assimilated are unloaded from the phloem
Describe the movement of sucrose and other assimilated down the phloem vessel
1) Hydrogen ions are actively transported using atp out of companion cells into source cell, creating a concentration gradient
2) h+ ions love by facilitated diffusion back into companion cell with sucrose and amino acids through co transport proteins
3) the sucrose diffuses from the companion cell through plasmodesmata into the phloem sieve tube element
4) causing the water potential to be lowered
5) water moves in by osmosis
6) creating a high hydrostatic pressure
7) water moves him from a high hydrostatic pressure to low (called mass flow)
8) sucrose and amino acids moves into companion and sink cell by diffusion
9) water leaves the phloem by osmosis (high to low WP)
What is the evidence for companion cells
1) companion cells become negatively charged compared to there surroundings (due to H+ ions)
2) ph inside the companion cells increased and outside decreased
3) when companion cells were treated with cyanide which stops aerobic respiration ph change did not occur
4) ultra structure shows many mitochondria intrinsic proteins and plasmodesmata
Explain aphid studies on the phloem
Aphids pierce plant tissue with mouth part
They reach the phloem
If aphid is anethetised sap continues to flow out of the stylet due to pressure from the phloem contents
This measures flow rate and concentration of sucrose
Shows that the conc of sucrose is higher near the source than the sink
Why do plants need water
Material used in photosynthesis
Mineral ions and products of photosynthesis are transported in aqueous solutions
Loss of water by evaporation helps plants keep cool
What are xylem vessels formed of
Dead hollow cells with lignified Walls
What does lignin do
- Gives strength to xylem vessel wall- helps prevent collapse of xylem
- lignin is waterproof which reduces the loss of water through wall
- lignin is a spiral shape- allows vessel to stretch
Xylem vessels have bordered pits- what does this allow
Bordered pits allow sideways movement of water into other vessels- allows them to bypass a blockage of air