CHAPTER 20 PlntAratony and Stowth 387 20.5 Transport of Nutrients Leaming Outcomes aaa Upon completion ofthis section, you shoulé be able 4. Deserve how the cahesion-tension model explains the movement of ‘water na plant 2, Define transpiration, and explain the role of stomata in regulating tie process. 13. Descibe how the pressureiow model explains the movement of navinte ina plant. Water Transport in Xylem People have Tong wondered how pans, especially very tall ees, lit water from the rats othe leaves agtns gravity. The eohesionstension model i aa explanation of how water and minerals travel upward in aylem cell. To under stand this proposed mechanism, oe must sat in the si. Recll he concep of osmosis In plans, water wil mae from an area of high concentration nthe foil oan rea of low concetraton inthe root hats (Fig. 20.18) All ofthe water entering the roots creates root pressure, Root presse is helpful for the upward movement of water but is not nest enough to ge ill he way up tothe leaves. “Transpiration i he loss of wales to the eavizonment, malay Evaportion of ater through evaporation from lea stomata, This isthe phenomenon that amorey explains how wate ean completely eit gravity and evel upward, Sa seeteteiencmt Focusing on te top ofthe wee Fig. 20.18), noice the water male- Eounnvonice cules escaping from the spongy mesophyll and into the air through eee Riclenes the stomata. The key is that it snot just one water molecule exeap- ing bot a chain of water molecules, Think about drinking water from a suaw- Drinking exers pressure onthe straw anda chain of| water molecules is drawn upward, Water molecules ate polar and “sick” togeter with hydrogen bonds. Waters ability to say linked ina chainis called cohesion, ands ability to stick to the inside of| straw is adhesion (sce Fig, 210). In plants evaporation of water atthe leaves provides the fension that pulls on a bain of water cohesion a molecules. Transpiration produces a constant tugging or pulling of ei the water column fom the top due to evaporation, Cohesion of Reversion water molecules and their adhesion tote inside of xylem vessels Laciitate tis ineelvani en. process. As transpiration acct, the water column is pulled wpward—firt ‘within the leaf, then from the stem, and finally from the roots, ‘The (olal amoual of watera plant loses through transpiration over along petiod of ume is surprisingly large. At lesst 90% of the water taken up by roots is eventually Tosa the eaves. A single corn plant loses between 135 and 200 liters of water through transpiration during a growing season Figure 20.18 coheslomtenslon model of xylem transport. water ige othe top ofa alte? Hyer vesele ae Water fled pipelines rom the 0s tothe leaves When waver evaporates tor spongy resoplnio the a spaces aflesves, te Water clus wth ane anater ana tei achestn 9 she ses ofthe vse.