Transpiration

1. Definition
Transpiration is the evaporation of water
from the aerial parts of plants.
Of all the water plant absorbs, over 95-99%
is transpired to the air as water vapor.

4. From where water is transpired?

Aerial parts of whole young plant
Lenticels (lenticular transpiration) 0.1%
Cutin (cuticular transpiration) 3%~10%
Stomatum (stomatal transpiration) ~ 90%

What is most likely leaving through the

stomata of the leaf picture here?

Water (H2O)

What is this process called?

Stomatal Transpiration

Stomatal transpiration

Cuticle
Prevents
water loss

Mesophyll
Site of
photosynthesis

Cuticle
Stomata
Openings allow gases
and water to move in
and out of leaf

Guard cells
Open and close
the stomata

Importance of transpiration
Guard Cells

What
goes
O2
out?

Photosynthesis

What
goes
in?
Stoma

What process
involves
Guard Cells
using CO2 and H2O
releasing O2 as a waste
H2O
product?
CO2

Stoma Open

What is the plant using this

Stoma
Closed
process
to make?
Carbohydrates-glucose

If the plant needs water for

photosynthesis, why is
water coming out of the

Function of Stomata
These stomata (leaf
openings) naturally allow
water to evaporate out.
Why would the plant close
stomata with guard cells?
Prevent excess water loss
throughStoma
transpiration.
Open
(conserve water)
So what is the point of having
stomata?
Allows gas exchange for
photosynthesis

Guard Cells

Stoma Closed

Function of Guard Cells

How do the
guard cells react
to the availability
of water?
Dry guard
cells CLOSE
lots of H2O
guard cells
OPEN
http://www.ualr.edu/~botany/images.html

4. Guard cells:
cells that open and
close the stoma
5. Stomata: openings in
leafs surface; when
open:

GAS EXCHANGE:
Allows CO2 in & O2 out
of leaf
TRANSPIRATION:

Guard Cells Stomata

5. Characteristics of guard cells

Guard cell properties and their

relationship with stomatal control
Thickness of CW varies in the ventral and dorsal
part of the guard cells.
Contains chloroplast and can perform light
reaction. (not dark reaction for the lack of key
enzymes)
Structurally isolated from epidermal cells for the
lack of plasmodesmata (water and ions transmit
only through cellular pathway, thus helps to build
up water gradient)
Little volume, little amount of water absorption or
loss controls stomtal aperture.

6. Mechanism of stomatal opening

----K+ absorption theory
HCO3-+PEP

H+-ATPase in PM is light activated

Mal

PM

Its function is out-pumping H+

Mal
H+

light

Cl

Cl-

Inward rectifier K+ channel is

voltage dependent, PM
hyperpolarization activates
the channel and carry K+
inward
Cl- is transported through
Cl- /H+ symport or Cl-/OHantiport

When the stomatum is opening, the [K+] rises to 0.5M, anions

rise to 0.2-0.5M, the osmotic potential drops 2MPa, thus bring
water in.

7. Factors influencing stomatal

aperture

Light
Temp.
CO2
Water content
Plant hormone

(1). Light
Stomata of most plant open in the day and
close at night, while CAM plants are just
the opposite.
Stomata opening are sensitive to red light
and blue light, and blue light is more
effective, it stimulates opening by a bluelight receptor: zeaxanthin.

(2) Temperature
Stomatal aperture increase with Temp,
within 20- 30 (the optimal).

(3). CO2
Low CO2 conc. promotes stomatal opening,
while high CO2 conc. inhibits stomatal
opening through its acidification of the
guard cell thus inhibits PM
hyperpolarization.

(4) Water content

Stomta open when the leaf contain
enough water. When there is a water
shortage, they close.

(6) Plant hormones

CTK promotes opening
ABA inhibits

Factors that influence transpiration

Transpiration from the leaf depends on
two major factors:
1. Difference in water vapor gradient
2. Diffusional resistance

The driving force

of transpiration is
the vapor
pressure
gradient. This is
the difference in
vapor pressure
between the
internal spaces in
the leaf and the
atmosphere
around the leaf
Diffusional resistance comprises
stomatal resistance and boundary
layer resistance

Transpiration rate=Driving force/resistance

water vapor inside the leaf - water vapor of the air

=
stomatal resistance + boundary layer resistance

Environmental factors that affect

the rate of transpiration
1. Light
Plants transpire more rapidly in the light
than in the dark. This is largely because
light stimulates the opening of the
stomata , Light also speeds up
transpiration by warming the leaf .

2. Temperature
Plants transpire more rapidly at higher
temperatures because water evaporates
more rapidly as the temperature rises.
3. Humidity
When the surrounding air is dry, diffusion
of water out of the leaf goes on more
rapidly.

 4. Wind
When a breeze is present, the humid air is
carried away and replaced by drier air.
5. Soil water
A plant cannot continue to transpire rapidly if its
water loss is not made up by replacement from
the soil. When absorption of water by the roots
fails to keep up with the rate of transpiration,
loss of turgor occurs, and the stomata close.
This immediately reduces the rate of
transpiration. If the loss of turgor extends to the
rest of the leaf and stem, the plant wilts.

Cells turgid/Stoma open

Cells flaccid/Stoma closed

Radially oriented
cellulose microfibrils
Cell
wall

Vacuole
Guard cell
Changes in guard cell shape and stomatal opening and closing
(surface view)