Unit 2.3b - Adaptations for transport in plants Flashcards
What do plants need to transport?
Inorganic ions and water
Where do plants need to transport inorganic ions and water?
From the soil to where they’re synthesising new compounds, which is in the leaves (photosynthesis)
What’s the name of the transport system used to transport inorganic ions in plants?
The transpiration system
Transpiration
The loss of water vapour through the stomata of plants
What’s the first step of the transpiration system?
Inorganic ions are dissolved in water and carried up to the leaves to be used in the plants metabolism
Name some inorganic ions that are transported in a plant
Mg2+
NO3^2-
PO4^3-
Where is water “pulled up” in a plant?
The xylem vessels
How is water pulled up the xylem vessels?
Cohesion tension
Adhesion
Cohesion tension
Hydrogen bonding between H and O between different water molecules
Adhesion
The polar nature of water giving them an attraction to the cellulose in the walls of the xylem vessels - capillarity
What’s the name of the other transport system used in plants as opposed to the transpiration system?
Translocation
Translocation
The process of moving the products of photosynthesis from where they’re mad or stored to other parts of the plant
From where is large quantities of water lost from a plant and how?
Through the stomata
Via the transpiration stream
Why must water be replaced in the soil?
Large quantities of water are lost through the stomata via the transpiration stream
How is water replaced into a plant?
A specialised region of root - the root hair zone - absorbs water (and inorganic ions)
Which part of a plant is responsible for absorbing water from the soil?
The root hair zone - a specialised region of root
How does the root hair zone of root absorb water?
Via osmosis
How does the root hair zone of root absorb inorganic ions?
Via active transport or fascilitated diffusion
Root hair cell
Epidermal cells with the extension - the root hair zone
Root hair cells adaptations to their function
Large surface area for the absorption of water by osmosis
Thin cell walls for a short diffusion pathway
Draw and label the transverse section of the root of a plant
(See notes)
Where are root hairs on the root?
On the upper epidermis layer
What does xylem tissue do?
Transports water and minerals throughout the plant
Where is xylem tissue found?
At the centre of the root
What is xylem tissue surrounded by?
A single layer of cells - the endodermis
What does the endodermis surround?
Xylem tissue
What does the stele of a root contain?
Vascular tissue
Where is the stele of a root?
The central part of the stem
And
In the root
Draw and label a stem transection
(See notes)
Draw and label a high power view of the stele
(See notes)
Endodermis
A single layer of cells around the stele
What is the endodermis important for?
Absorbing water and inorganic ions into the plant
What does endodermis include and what does this do?
Water proof Casparian strip which stops transport via the apoplast route
What does Phloem do?
Transports the products of photosynthesis e.g - sucrose and amino acids
What does Xylem do?
Transports water and minerals
How are xylem tissues fit for their purpose?
They’re dead cells with thickened cell walls so the middle is empty for transporting water and inorganic ions
What makes up the vascular bundle?
Xylem
Cambium
Phloem
What do the xylem, cambium and phloem make up?
The vascular bundle
What chemical do two parts of the stem both have and what does this mean?
Xylem and schlerenchyma have lignin
Stain the same colour
Chemical of xylem and schlerenchyma
Lignin
What’s the schlerenchyma of the vascular bundle also known as?
Fibres
Fibres of the vascular bundle
Schlerenchyma
What do all 3 routes of transporting water and minerals in the root start with?
Water enters the root hairs on the epidermis via osmosis (water potential gradient from the soil into root hair cell)
Inorganic ions dissolved in water enter the root hair cells via facilitated diffusion or active transport
Where do the 3 routes for transport of water and minerals in the root go to and from?
From epidermis
To cortex
To the vascular tissue of the steel in the centre of the root
What are the 3 possible routes for the transport of water and minerals in the root?
Symplastic route
Apoplastic route
Vacuolar route
Symplastic route
Water and dissolved ions are absorbed into the cytoplasm of the root hair by osmosis active transport and fascilitated diffusion
Then move through the root tissues via the cytoplasm and plasmodesmata of adjacent cells
What are the symplastic, apoplastic and vacuolar routes all routs for?
The transport of water and minerals in the root
Apoplastic route
Water and dissolved ions move through the root tissues via the cell walls of adjacent cells (it doesn’t actually enter the cells)
There is no restriction to flow until the endodermis is reached
Why are water and dissolved ions able to move through the root tissues via the cell walls when taking the apoplasic route?
Cellulose cell walls and permeable to water and ions
At which point in the apoplastic route is there a restriction to the flow of water and why?
The endodermis
The endodermis contains a band of waterproof tissue known as the casparian strip which prevents water from going through the apoplast route
Where is the casparian strip?
The endodermis
What’s the purpose of the casparian strip in the endodermis?
To prevent water from going through the apoplast route
Vacuolar route
Water and dissolved ions move through the tissues of the root from the vacuole of one cell to the vacuole of the neck cell down a water potential gradient
Sketch the vacuolar route
(They look like coffee beans)
Sketch the symplastic route
(Nodiadau)
Sketch the apolastic route
(Nodiadau)
Draw a diagram to represent the transport of water and minerals in the route down both the apoplastic and symplastic route
Yes
How are inorganic ions taken from the soil solution?
Active transport
Ho do inorganic ions move through the plant once they’ve been absorbed?
Move along the apoplastic pathway (carried in solution by the water) in the transpiration system
How are inorganic ions carried in the transpiration stream?
In solution by the water
What happens when minerals reach the casparian strip?
It prevents further movement via the apoplast
What’s the casparian strip formed from?
Waterproof Suberin
What happens to minerals once they’ve been restricted by the casparian strip?
They must enter the cytoplasm and are transported from cell to cell via diffusion or active transport
How does nitrate enter a plant?
As nitrate or ammonium ions
Why do plants need nitrates?
To make amino acids
How do nitrate ions enter the apoplastic pathway?
Diffuse along a concentration gradient
How do inorganic ions travel from the apoplastic to the symplastic pathway when restricted by the casparian strip in the endodermis?
By active transport against the concentration gradient, through the selectively permeable cell membrane into the cytoplasm
What must ions do at the endodermis and why?
Enter the symplastic pathway by active transport to bypass the casparian strip
Is the apoplastic pathway living or non-living?
Non-living
Is the symplastic pathway living or non-living?
Living
How does the casparian strip actually help? How?
Allows the plant to selectively take up ions
When ions have to travel from the apoplastic to the symplastic pathway, they have to travel into the cytoplasm to get into it, through the selectively permeable membrane
How does the casparian strip in the endodermis allow a plant to selectively take up ions?
Inorganic ions have to travel from the apoplastic to the symplastic pathway, and to do this they need to travel into the cell’s cytoplasm, and to do THIS they need to travel through the selectively permeable membrane
What does root pressure do?
Helps move water up the plant
(Although not to the same extent as cohesion tension)
What IS the casparian strip?
A layer of Suberin within the cell walls of the endodermal cells
How is root pressure formed? [5]
The Suberin of the casparian strip is water proof and stops water and dissolved ions form following the apoplast root through the endodermis, forcing them to cross the cel membrane and enter the symplastic route
Transport proteins in the membrane of the endodermis cells actively transport dissolved ions/salts across the endodermis and into the xylem vessels
This lowers the water potential within the xylem vessels and water moves into the xylem by osmosis from the root cortex
The movement of water into the xylem creates a hydrostatic pressure which forces the xylem contents upwards - this is root pressure
What creates hydrostatic pressure in the roots and what does this cause?
The movement of water into the xylem, which forces the xylem contents upwards (root pressure)
Where does water move into the xylem by osmosis from to form root pressure?
The root cortex
What is the ultimate cause of root pressure?
The casparian strip forcing inorganic ions to cross the cell membranes and enter the symplastic route
What’s an experiment that we can do to test for root pressure?
Cut the plant close to the soil to leave a stump
Tightly seal to an s-shaped tube half filled with mercury, half filled with water
Over time, the mercury will be pushed to the top of the tube due to the hydrostatic pressure
Measure pressure of the liquid using a manometer
How can we measure the pressure of a liquid?
Manometer
Where are the vascular bundles in stems?
Around the periphery
Why are the vascular bundles around the periphery in stems?
Gives flexible support and resistance to bending strain due to the tough xylem cells - fibres
What gives flexible support and resistance to a stem?
Tough xylem cells - fibres
Draw and label the vascular bundle in a stem
(See notes)
What does the phloem contain?
Living material (e.g - nucleus, cytoplasm)
Which 2 tissues in vascular bundles contain lignin and what does this lead to?
Fibres
Xylem
Both stain red
Compare lignin to cellulose
Lignin is harder
What gives a plant the texture of wood?
Xylem vessels with lignin
What does lignin give plants?
Rigidity
What are the 4 types of xylem cells?
Vessels
Tracheids
Fibres
Parenchyma
What are vessels, tracheids, fibres and parenchyma all examples of?
Xylem cells
What happens when a xylem cell matures?
Gets thicker and fills with lignin
Is lignin permeable to water?
No
Why are xylem cells dead cells?
As they mature, the cell walls get thicker and fill with lignin
Lignin is impermeable to water and stronger than cellulose
Therefore, water can’t easily get in, so the cell contents die away
How does lignin lead to the dead of a xylem cell?
Impermeable to water and stronger than cellulose - water can’t get in easily, cell contents die away
What type of cells are xylem cells?
Dead
Why are xylem cells important?
Form tubes to carry water and dissolved ions
Provide mechanical strength to support the plant
Why is it useful that xylem cells are dead?
Form tubes to carry water and dissolved ions
Xylem function
Transports water and mineral salts from the root to the leaves
Phloem function
Transports soluble produce of photosynthesis (sucrose and amino acids) from the leaves to other parts of the plant
How are the functions of the xylem and phloem different?
Xylem - transports water and mineral salts from the root to the leaves
Phloem - transports soluble products of photosynthesis (sucrose and amino acids) from the leaves to other parts of the plant
Where does the phloem carry the products of photosynthesis to and from?
From the leaves to other parts of the plant
Where does xylem transport water and mineral salts/inorganic ions to and from?
From the root to the leaves
Describe tracheid xylem tissues
Longer, slender cell with an empty lumen to transport water and inorganic ions
Thick to support the plant
Describe the fibre xylem tissues
Specialised for support
Has almost no central cavity when the cell dies at maturity
Thickened cell walls
Lots of lignin
Describe the vessel xylem tissues
Specialised for water transport
Has a wide lumen to reduce the resistance to water flow through the tissue
Shorter and wider
No end walls between vessel elements (cells) that make up a vessel
Describe the parenchyma xylem tissue
Live cells that develop to form the other types of xylem cells
Contain cytoplasm, nuclei…
Cell walls thicken as they develop
Which xylem cells are the live cells that develop to form the other types?
Parenchyma
What are fibrous xylem tissues specialised for?
Support
What are tracheid xylem tissues specialised for?
Transporting water and inorganic ions
What are vessel xylem tissues specialised for?
Water transport
What would happen eventually when testing for root pressure and why?
There would be no more upward movement of mercury due to gravity resisting this movement
Describe the steps involved in transporting water FROM the xylem in the leaf
- Water arrives in the leaf through xylem vessels
- Water leaves the xylem vessels through the pits in the walls and travel through the living spongey mesophyll cells down a water potential gradient via osmosis
- Water evaporates from the surface of mesophyll cells into the sub stomatal air chamber
- When the stomata is open (sufficient light intensity), water vapour escapes - transpiration
The water potential of the cells near the stomata has now lowered
Where does water evaporate from the surface of mesophyll cells into?
The sub stomatal air chamber
How does water leave the xylem vessels and where does it go to?
Through the pits in the walls
Travels through the living spongey mesophyll cells
How does water move from the xylem vessels through the living spongey mesophyll cells?
Down a water potential gradient via osmosis