 Absorption of Water

The uptake of water by plants is called absorption of water. Plants

absorb water from the soil through the root hairs.

Water is said to be the liquid gold of life or elixir of life. Plants are
capable of absorbing waterr from soil solution. They mainly absorb
capillary water. Plants also absorb dissolved nutrients along with
water.

A small amount of water is absorbed through leaves and stem

surface.
The water is absorbed through root hairs. The absorbed water reaches
the leaves through the cortex, endoderm, pericycle and xylem tubes.

Plants absorb water by physical forms such a imbibition, diffusion

and osmosis and by some biological mechanism.

Site of Water Absorption

Water is mainly absorbed through root hairs which are located in a

group just above the he root cap. This area rich in root hairs is called
root hair zone.

Fig 32 Diagrammatic representation of a root tip showing root hair

There are billions of root hairs in the root system of a plant. Root
hairs are tubular hair-like projections of the epidermal cells. So, each
root hair is a single cell. The epidermis bearing root hairs is known as
piliferous layer. Generally, root hairs are 0.5 to 1.0 cm in length and
10µ in diameter.
Fig 5.3 A typical root hair.

Root hair is a modified epidermal cell. The wall of the root hair is
permeable to water because it is made up of cellulose and pectic
substance which are strongly hydrophilic (water-loving) in nature.
Next to cell wall, there is plasma membrane enclosing cytoplasm,
nucleus and vacuole. Vacuole is filled with cell sap whose water
potential is more negative than that of soil solution.

Path of Absorbed Water

The water is absorbed from the soil through the root hair cells.
From the root hair, it moves into the cortical cells. After crossing
the cortical cells water reaches the endodermis.

Fig 5.4 Anatomy of a root showing the path of absorbed water.

The endodermal cells lying opposite to root hairs are specially

modified to transport the absorbed water. These endodermal
cells are called passage cells The passage cells are permeable
to water because they lack casparian thickening in their walls.
Other endodermal cells are provided with casparian thickening
and are impermeable to water.

Fig 5.5 Path of absorbed water.

The water from the passage cells passes into the pericycle
cells. From the pericycle cells, the water passes into the xylem
cells. Through the xylem tubes, the water moves up through
stem to reach the leaves.

The root hair, passage cells and xylem cells are in a line to
facilitate easy movement of water The water movement from
one cell to another is brought about by turgor pressure

Mechanism of Water Absorption

The uptake of water by plants is called water absorption. Water

is absorbed from the soil mainly through root hairs. The
absorbed water moves through a variety of cells

such as cortical cells, passage cells (endodermis),pericycle cells and

xylem tubes (in root and stem) to reach the leaves.
Kramer (1949) proposed that water is absorbed by two mechanisms.
They are

1. Active absorption
2. 2 Passive absorption

1. Active Absorption

The absorption of water by the plants with the use of energy is knows
as active absorption. In this process, the root cells play active role in
the absorption of water.
Metabolic energy is consumed

The active absorption is of two types. They are

Active Osmotic absorption

Active Non-osmotic absorption

Highlights - Active Absorption of Water

• Intake of water by the plant with the use of energy is called active
absorption.
• The water is absorbed by the activity of root hair cells.

The water is absorbed by the operation of osmotic forces or by the

energy .

In osmotic active absorption, the water moves from hypotonic solum

to hypertonic solution

The root hair absorbs water due to osmotic pressure.

• The xylem vessels lift the water due to root pressure.

• The water passes through the following path:

In non-osmotic absorption, respiratory energy is used.

In non-osmotic absorption, the water can move against concentration

gradient

• It is correlated with respiration

• The water passes through symplast pathway and transmembrane

pathway

The water moves through the following route: •

Root hair → Cortical cells → Passage cells → Pericycle cells →
Xylem → Leaves

• This concept was proposed by Atkins (1916) and Priestly (1922)

• This concept has less evidence

a) Active Osmotic Absorption

The absorption of water by the root hairs by the operation of osmotic

forces is called active osmotic absorption.

The water moves from a medium of lower concentration to a medium

ol

Concentration
• Fig 5.6 Active matic absorption of water. It moves from higher
osmotic potential to lower esmotic potential. It moves from a medium
of lower osmotic pressure to higher osmotic pressure. The active
osmotic absorption of water was proposed by Atkins (1916). Priestly
and Arnold (1952), Anderson and House (1967). Leviti (1969) and
others

It moves from hypotonic solution to hypertonic solution. It moves

along a gradient of decreasing free energy.

It involves the following steps

1. The soil water molecules are adsorbed into the cell wall of root hair
cells by

imbibition. Low

High very
High S

Low DPD Low SP

Root Pressure

High OPEN

Low JP Huh DPD

High SP

Xylem

Hypotonic Low OP High TP Low DPD Low SP

Fig 5.7: Active osmotic absorption of water.

2. The protoplasm of root hair cell is hypertonic and the soil water is
hypotonic

3. Osmotic pressure (OP) of the cell sap of root hair cell is higher than
the OP the sail water. The O Por cell sap is usually between 3 to 8
atmosphere while that of watered soil is less than I atmosphere

4. As the root hair cell contains less water, it has less turgor pressure
(TP)

5. High O P and less T.P of root hair cell results in increased diffusion
pressam

deficit (D.P.D).

-Pericycle
de to t in a pr of tales rd power ester e harsil aperies p e em la mean
by die h e 0 on great pd rcl e esr ad rr pro nd 7 kell o w O BE

Fig5 Anatomy of a nen showing the path of movement of absorbed

water

Therfore, water is drawn into the scent cortical ols fm the mt hairodl

mdu

9. Is the same way, the water moves gradully by cel-scell omatie f id

aches the contact

10. It uses some art of metabolic energy

I1. The cells of endodermis facing xylem are thin walled and lack
canpar thickening They are called passage celle. The other cells are
thick walled impermeable to wader. Osmotic diffusion of water takes
place tgh te paage c

12 Water from the passage cells is draws into the cells of pericycle by
eom

4fusion

11. Now, the cells of the pericycle become turgid

14. The water is drawn into the xylem from turbid pericycle cells

15. When water enters the xylem from pericycle, a pressure is

developed in the ay of nots This pressure in the xylem is called root
pressure. The root pressure can li water to a certain height in the
xylem

Highlights

Osmotic Active Absorption

The intake of water by the root hairs by the operatio of osmotic force
called osmotic active absorption

• Water is absorbed by the activity of root cells • Osmotic pressure,

root pressure, turgor pressure

tole.

and DPD play the m

enel O.P of rich

the w hole rol The ner ha et al water and the xylem vessel pan water
sand

b)Active Osmotic Absorption of Water

som ptc vr player

youth w

cases of w

s THaman S1) and Amer 19) Sach Tklace ever whm the OP through
aghoris higher the CPof est in the plasma emr 1 provided by mictic
peese te ceil sap Hos

Thin sin

the meem Luminal membrane pe AO the membrane

ATT

e a s a the sime This type of water absorb takes place

supporting pons or 1 The ac which inhibit repurat abo docreae warner
aboorpeson retarding the metabolic movies of the root cells alo rated

the

this theory

2. Prisms aborn

TAus which plate the metablicativites of the cells, release the abso if
water by plant roots

Table S.. Distance between an active aborpen and son

SL AND Osmotic Active Absorption

1.

2.

Osmotic process

Root pressure arises

Water moves along concentration

madient

Energy is not used Not related to respiration

Non-Osmotic Active Absorption

No root pressure

Water moves against conce e

adient
Energy is used

Related to respiration

add oN

5.

Highlights

Non - Osmotic Active Absorption

The intake of water without the involvement of camotic forces one of

energy is called non -osmotic active absorption

• The water moves against concentration gradient

Respiratory energy is used

It is correlated with respiration

she

and wi

• The water molecules move through symplast pathway and men

members

park way

. Plant hormones like auxins stimulate non - osmotic active absorption

DON OF WATER
un retard this absorption concept was proposed by

This

Kremer 1959

2. Passive Absorption

Argon of water by plant roots due to transpiration pall from the p dhe
o and without using energy is called passive absorption.

hair cells do not play any activerolec in the absorption

ne transpiration, causes the absorption of water . Erg mot used in this

process

The water is pulled up to the leaves. . The water is not pumped up by

the roots ,is purely a physical process

Passive absorption is high, when the rate of trapimshuth. mechanism

of Passive Absorption

The forces for absorption of water arises from the leaves of the nim
the roots

2 The forces arise due to transpiration Transpiration increases the

concentration of celisap 3.

love The increased concentration of cell sap increases the IPD Di

the

5 As result water from the ylem vessels move to the mesin ES

6 This results in a DPD in the wylem vessels

As the water forms a nd column the le tethe

viem vessels, the DPD is transmited to the met This creates a tension
in the root hair clh

This tension sucks the soll i mes the oacharels

10. The water moves across the road cones and vie

Il The water moves in the following path

Soil Root

Water

har

Epderm is Cortical Paa

cell

Penick

12. The water moves through apoplastic pathway that

saplast pathway (through plasmodesmata) or ranmibrane pa 3 is now

largely believed that greates amo cf material

aquaparins)

absorption

14 Water is absorbed through roots and no hy oots

Highlights

Passive Absorption
The intake of water by plants due to tranprationpail The water is
absorbed due to transpiration activity in the

absorption