Plant Nutrient

Transport

Name: _______________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________________________________

Key Points & Questions 1. Plants are divided into two main groups: vascular plants and
nonvascular plants. ______________________ plants have vascular
tissues that allow them to transport water and nutrients
throughout the plant. ______________________ plants lack these
tissues.

2. Nonvascular plants do not have any tissues to transport water

and nutrients to their cells. They must rely on simple diffusion
and ______________________ to get water to their cells. Because of
this, nonvascular plants grow low to the ground and include
mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.

3. Vascular plants have vascular ______________________ for

transporting nutrients and water to the plant cells. Vascular
tissue is much like human veins and arteries, which can
transport materials over a ______________________. Because of this,
vascular plants can grow tall.

4. The body of a plant consists of three distinct parts: roots, stems,

and leaves. ______________________ anchor the plant and take in
water. ______________________ support the plant upright.
______________________ provide food for the plant through
photosynthesis.

5. Vascular plants have two types of vascular tissues called

______________________ and ______________________. Xylem carries
water throughout the plant, and phloem carries sugars and
other nutrients to the plant cells.

6. Xylem conducts water from the roots up to the rest of the plant.
Water moves through the xylem by ______________________ action.
Capillary action is due to the attraction of water molecules to
each other and to other surfaces. These attractive forces pull the
water molecules up the thin tubes that are the xylem of the
plant.

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 7. The loss of water through the leaves of the plant also provides a
force which pulls water from the roots to the leaves via the
xylem. This process is called ______________________. As
transpiration occurs, water exits the leaves through tiny pores
called stomata. ______________________ are tiny pores in the
epidermis of the leaf that allow carbon dioxide to enter the plant
and water vapor and oxygen to exit. As the water exits, more
water is drawn out of the xylem.

8. Phloem transports sugars made during ______________________ to

other parts of the plant, especially the roots, where storage can
occur. Phloem also transports ______________________, which is a
water based fluid rich in photosynthesized sugars.

Summary

Reflect and Respond

1. Make a comparison of the nutrient transport system of plants to the circulatory system of
humans.

2. Give another example of capillary action at work. (Hint: think of the medical profession.)

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 3. Describe the interactions among roots, stems, and leaves in vascular plant nutrient transport.

4. Observe the image below. Describe how water is transported from the roots to the leaves of a
plant. Explain how transpiration is involved in this process. After you write your description, turn
to another student and verbally describe the process.

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