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TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
Plants, like animals have a system of vessels to carry fluids from one part to another. They have two separate systems
- Xylem vessels
- Phloem vessels

Xylem vessels – carry water and inorganic ions from the roots to the leaves

Phloem sieve – carry substances made by photosynthesis from the leaves to other parts of the plant.

Transport of water
Plants get water from the soil by the root hair cells through osmosis. The soil water has a higher water potential than
the cytoplasm of the root hair cells. The root hairs greatly increase the surface area of the root which speeds up the
rate at which water can be taken into plant. From the root hair water travels across the cortex cells towards the xylem
vessels in the centre of the root. As the water moves towards the centre of the root some of it goes into the cytoplasm
of the cortex cells (the symplast pathway) and then out again moving from cell to cell.
Much of the water does not go inside the cytoplasm but travel through the cell walls (the apoplast pathway) from cell to
cell until it reaches the xylem.

Probable water pathway

The water then travels up the plant through the xylem vessels which take it to the leaves. In the leaves a tiny a tiny
fraction of water evaporates at the mesophyll cells turning vapour. The water vapour diffuses out of the leaves through
the stomata into the air through a process called Transpiration. As water is lost through transpiration a suction force
(transpiration pull) causes more water to be absorbed from the soil, resulting in a flow of water from the soil to the
roots, stems, leaves and into the air. The movement of water along this pathway is called the Transpiration stream.

Importance of Transpiration

1. Water transport – the transpiration stream moves water up the xylem of the plant.
2. Salt transport – the transpiration stream carries dissolved salts from the roots for the synthesis of complex
compounds in the leaves.
3. Temperature control – the evaporation of water from the leaves requires heat energy and as the process
takes place heat is withdrawn from the leave cells thus the cells get cooled. This process prevents
overheating of the cells.

Factors Affecting the Rate of Transpiration.

 Temperature
When temperature is high there will be more energy to evaporate water from the leaf cells. (& the reverse is also true).
High temperature increases the rate of transpiration whilst low temperature reduces it.
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 Relative Humidity
Humidity means the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere. Transpiration is faster when the air is dry and has less
amount of water vapour. At high humidity the rate of transpiration is slow because is saturated with water vapour.

 Air Movements
When air moves faster it washes off more water vapour from a leaf surface per given time, therefore transpiration
occurs faster in windy conditions than in cool still air.

 Light Intensity
Light triggers the opening of the stomatal pores and more water is lost into the atmosphere. Also light increases leaf
temperature thus causing rapid evaporation of water from the leaves.

The arrangement of vascular tissues in various plant organs.

a) In the stem b) In the root

How plants take up the following from the soil.

a) Water;
Water is drawn into the root hair cell mainly by osmosis. Sap vacuole of root cells has a high concentration of sugars
and other metabolites than the surrounding soil water. Water molecules are therefore drawn across the cellulose cell
wall and the partially permeable protoplast into the vacuole. From the root hairs water passes to the vascular tissues in
the centre of the root via the parenchyma cells. There are three possible pathways of water as shown in the figure
below.
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b) Mineral salts
Experimental data suggests that mineral ions are many times greater in the cells than in the surrounding soil water.
This therefore further suggests that ions enter the plant cells against their concentration gradient. Mineral ions are
selectively absorbed by active transport which involves the expenditure of energy.

How are plants adapted to control Transpiration?

 Having less stomata

 Stomata mostly found on the lower epidermis
 Seasonal shedding of leaves during winter
 Developing small leaves
 Developing thick cuticle (waxy layer) on the leaves
 Rolling / curling the leaves when it is hot
 Developing sunken stomata
 Having a photosynthetic stems
 Developing thorns / spines instead of leaves

Wilting
Excessive loss of water by a plant without replacing it by absorption makes the plant cells flaccid. Eventually tissues in
the leaves become droopy and limply (i.e. looking tired and lifeless). Leaves which have wilted have a low rate of
photosynthesis. In order to minimize these undesirable effects of wilting plants use the mechanisms of controlling
transpiration listed above.

Translocation
It is the movement of organic substances such as sucrose (sugars in plants) through the phloem vessels after the
process of photosynthesis.

Courtesy of Lebsy Mb
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