8 Transport in plants

xylem and phloem

Plants have transport system to move food, water and minerals.

The tubes of this system are called xylem and phloem.

-Xylem: carry water and minerals from roots to leaves.

-Phloem: carry sucrose and amino acids made by plant from the
leaves to the rest of the plant. (translocation)
Importance of water to plants:
• Keep the cell turgid and this is necessary for
support.
• Used in photosynthesis.

• Form a part of the cytoplasm and vacuole.

• Water transpired helps in:

- Conduction of water and minerals from roots.
- Cools down the plant during hot days.

• Mineral ions are absorbed and transported

dissolved in water.
• Plant food is transported dissolved in water.
 Xylem vessels
• carry water and minerals from
roots to leaves.
• Support the plant.

Adaptations for their

functions:

• dead cells with no

cytoplasm, cell membrane
or nucleus.

• No end wall between cells.

(allows water to move freely
through them)

• Have only cell walls

fortified with lignin.
(for support)
 Phloem tubes
- Living tissue
- Translocate sucrose and amino acids
Distribution of vascular bundles in roots, stems, and leaves

Vascular bundle: a group of xylem vessels, and phloem tubes.

Transverse section in a root

Transverse section in a stem
Transverse section in a leaf
 Source and sink differ at different times

• In summer
source: leaves
(leaves synthesize and produce sucrose)
sink: root.

• In winter
Food is stored in roots

• In spring
Source: root
(food is stored in roots)
Sink: shoot.
 Root hairs and water uptake by plants

Root hair cell

A cell modified for absorption of water and minerals

Adaptation of the root
hair cell to its function

• Large in number and has finger-

like projection to increase the
surface area of absorption.

• Contains a lot of mitochondria

for production of the energy
required for absorption of
minerals by a process known as
active uptake.

• Contains a large concentrated

sap vacuole for absorption of
water by osmosis.
Pathway of water taken by the root hair cells
 Transpiration
Transpiration is the
evaporation of water at
the surfaces of the plant
and
loss of water vapour from
plant leaves, through the
stomata by diffusion.
 Mechanism responsible for movement of water in xylem vessels:

Leaves lose water by evaporation, and

Diffusion of water vapor from stomata,

which reduces water potential at the

top of the plant resulting in water
moving upwards in xylem.

Water enters xylem by osmosis.

A continuous column of water forms in

the xylem maintained by cohesion
between water molecules and
adhesion of water to walls of xylem,

Which creates a transpiration pull that

moves water upwards in xylem.
Factors affecting transpiration
External factors
Internal factors
(The factors related to the
structure of the plant)

• Number of stomata

• Air spaces in the leaf

• The exposed surface

area

• Thickness of cuticle