LAB 3: TRANSPIRATION AS A MECHANISM OF WATER TRANSPORT IN THE

CELERY XYLEM

Objective:

1. To study the effect of wind and light factors on transpiration in celery stalks.

Introduction:

Transpiration is the loss of water by evaporation of water, usually through the stomata in
the leaves. This process is usually initiated by a higher water potential inside the cells of a plant
than in the environment surrounding it. This higher water potential inside the plant launches the
process of osmosis to occur, moving water into the mesophyll cells. Although in cases with a
lower water potential in the cell might partially prevent transpiration, the stomata of a plant must
remain open to allow the entry of CO2 used in photosynthesis. All plants do not transpire at the
same rates while under different conditions. The purpose of this experiment was to test the
effects of environmental variables on rates of transpiration using a controlled experiment. Since
transpiration is the plants main source of water loss, placing the plant in different conditions will
test the way different environments affect water loss and the closing or opening of the plant’s
stomata.

Materials

Celery Stalks

Eosin Dye (red)

Gooseneck Lamp

Fan

Scalpel

Tiles

Tissue

Ruler
Procedure

1. Each celery stalk was cut 1 cm from the bottom end as it remains submerged in water.
The celery stalk was cut at the same height.
2. Flask A, B, C, D which contained 200 ml eosin dye was labeled.
3. The cut end of each celery stalk was quickly placed into the flask
4. Flask A was placed on a normal room temperature, flask B in front of running fan and
flask C in front of gooseneck lamp.
5. The time was noted and all the celery stalks was allowed to stand for less than 5 minutes
in their designated environmental conditions.
6. The experiment was stopped once any of the eosin reach the top end of celery stalk and
the time was recorded.
7. The celery stalks was removed from their flask. Excess dye was rinsed from the stalks
under running water and placed the on tissue.
8. A metric ruler and scalpel was used to cut 1 cm segments from the bottom end under
running water and placed them on a tissue.
9. Examined the cut end of the stalk for the presence of eosin dye in the xylem tissue
positioned along the outer edge of the stalk after each cut was made.
10. Continued cutting 1 cm segments from each stalk until the dye begin to fade in the
xylem.
11. 11. The distance the dye traveled up each stalk was tabulated.
Results

Conditions The distance the dye traveled up (cm)

Room Temperature 17
In front of running fan 22
Under Gooseneck Lamp 22