QUESTIONS on ABSORPTION BY ROOTS – CLASS X

Question .1. Name the following :

(i) The tissue that transports manufactured starch from the leaves to all parts of plants.

(ii) The tissue responsible for the ascent of sap in plants.

(iii) The pressure responsible for the movement of water molecules across the cortical cells of the
root.

(iv) Condition of a cell placed in hypotonic solution.

(v) The process by which water enters the root hair cell

(vi) The pressure exerted by cell contents on a plant cell wall.

(vii) Tissue concerned with upward conduction of water in plants.

(viii) Condition of cell in which the cell contents are shrunken.

(ix) The inward movement of solvent molecules through the plasma membrane of a cell.

(x) The process by which raisin swell up when placed in a beaker of water.

(xi) Marine fish when thrown under tap water bursts because of :

(a) Endosmosis

(b) Exosmosis

(c) Diffusion

(d) Plasmolysis.

(xii) Name the structure which transports manufactured food from leaves to other parts of the plant.

(xiii) Name the kind of cells that constitute the cortex of a root.

(xiv) Name the process by which intact plants lose water in the form of droplets.

Answers :

(i) Phloem

(ii) Xylem

(iii) Turgor / root pressure

(iv) Turgid (v) Osmosis

(vi) Turgor pressure

(vii) Xylem

(viii) Plasmolysed / flaccid

(ix) Endosmosis

(x) Endosmosis

(xi) (a) Endosmosis

(xii) Phloem

(xiii) Parenchyma

(xiv) Guttation.

Question .2. State true or false :

(i) Cells that have lost their water content are said to be deplasmolysed.

(ii) Xylem is the water conducting tissue in plants.

(iii) Spreading of particles by mixing is called diffusion.

(iv) Root hairs are extension of epidermal cells.

Answers:

(i) F

(ii) T

(iii) T

(iv) T

Question . 3. Arrange the following in correct order so as to be in a logical sequence:

(i) Endodermis, root hair, xylem, soil water, cells of cortex.

(ii) Cortical cell, root hair, xylem, water, veins.

Answers

(i) Soil water → root hair → cells of cortex → endodermis → xylem.

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(ii) Water → root hair → cortical cell → xylem → veins.
Question .4. Define the following :

(i) Hypotonic solution.

(ii) Active transport.

(iii) Diffusion

Answers

(i) Hypotonic solution – A solution having low osmotic pressure or lower concentration of solutes as compared to
another solution.

(ii) Active transport – Passage of substances (ions or salts) from already low concentration to their higher
concentration (against concentration gradient) by utilization of energy of the cell.

(iii) The process by which molecules, particles, substances move from a region of high concentration to a region
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of low concentration.

Question .5. Explain the term plasmolysis. Give one application of this phenomenon in our daily
life.

Answer :

Shrinkage of protoplast of a plant cell from its cell wall under the influence of hypertonic solution is called
plasmolysis and the cell in this state is said to be limp or flaccid. This condition is called flaccidity.

Adding salt in pickles and sugar in jams, jellies, preserve them from decaying by plasmolysing the bacterial cell.

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Question .6. Differentiate between :

(i) Cobalt chloride paper and goats bladder

(ii) Osmosis and diffusion.

Answer :

(i)

Cobalt Chloride Paper Goat’s Bladder

It is used for the process of transpiration to It is used for the process of osmosis as
check the presence of water. semipermiable membrane.

 
(ii)

Osmosis Diffusion
Flow of water molecules from their higher Flow from the area of their higher to lower
to lower concentration through a concentration without a semipermeable
semipermeable membrane. membrane.

Question .7. Choose the correct alternative :

(i) Marine fish when thrown under tap water bursts because of (endosmosis, exosmosis, diffusion,
plasmolysis).

(ii) The space between the cell wall and plasma membrane in plasmolysed cell is filled with (isotonic
solution, hypotonic solution, hypertonic solution, water).

(iii) Osmosis involves diffusion of (suspended particles from lower to higher concentration,
suspended particles from higher to lower concentration, water from the more concentrated solution
to the less concentrated solution, water from the less concentrated solution to the more
concentrated solution).

(iv) The process by which molecules distribute themselves evenly with in the space they occupy is
termed as (osmosis, diffusion, active transport, imbibition).

(v) Synthesized food in green leaves is transported through (phloem, xylem, pith).

Answers :

(i) Endosmosis.

(ii) Hypertonic solution.

(iii) Water from less concentrated solution to more concentrated solution.

(iv) Diffusion.

(v) Phloem.

Question .8. Give biological reasons for

(i) Salt and sugar are used in preserving food.

(ii) Some plants show wilting of their leaves during mid day even when the soil is well watered.

(iii) On sprinkling common salt on grass growing in a lawn, the grass is killed.

(iv) Wilted lettuce leaves if kept in cold water become crisp.

(v) Plants growing in fertilized soil are often found to wilt if the soil is not adequately watered.

(vi) Grapes shrink when immersed in a very strong sugar solution.

(vii) Root hairs become flaccid, when fertilizers are added to the moist soil around it.

(viii) Transplanting of seedling to a flower bed in the evening is better than doing so in the evening.

(ix) Strips of potato placed in 50% sucrose solution appear soft and shriveled.

Answers :

(i) Higher concentration of salt or sugar protects the food from decay by bacteria and fungi due to plasmolysis. As
hypertonic nature of such food plasmolyses cells of bacteria and fungi and kills them.

(ii) During mid day the rate of transpiration is higher than the rate of absorption of water by roots hence show
wilting.

(iii) Surrounding water becomes hypertonic, hence water from root hair cells come out by process of exosmosis
and cells get plasmolysed and die. Thus grass is killed.

(iv) Leaves of wilted lettuce are plasmolysed and when put in cold water gets deplasmolysed and become turgid
and hence are crisp.

(v) When soil is fertilized and not well watered, the concentration of soil solution becomes very high. Water
moves out root hair cells due to exosmosis. If not watered for a long time, wilting will be observed.

(vi) Due to process of exosmosis.

(vii) It is due to exosmosis from root hair cells.

(viii) In the evening temperature goes down, there is less sunlight, rate of transpiration falls, less water is lost by
seedlings and during night roots get turgid and push into the soil easily.

(ix) Water moves out from the potato strips to the concentrated sugar solution. After some time potato strips
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becomes soft and shriveled due to loss of water by exosmosis as cells become flaccid.

Question .9. Potato cubes 1 cm in size were placed in two containers, one containing
water, the other containing concentrated sugar solution. After about 24 hours when the
cubes were examined, then those placed in water were found to be firm and had
increased in size by a few millimeters. Those placed in concentrated sugar solution were
found to be soft and had decreased in size. Use the above information to answer the
questions that follow :

(i) Account for the firmness and increase in size of the potato cubes which were placed in water.

(ii) Account for the softness and decrease in size of the potato cubes which were placed in the sugar
solution.

(iii) Name and define the physical process being investigated in this experiment.
Answers:

(i) Cubes are placed in hypotonic solution and endosmosis takes place and cell becomes turgid resulting in
firmness and increase in size.

(ii) Cubes are placed in hypertonic solution and exosmosis takes place and cell becomes soft and decrease in
size.

(iii) Osmosis.

Osmosis is the process of flow of water molecules from the region of their higher concentration to the region of
their lower concentration through a semipermeable membrane.

Question .10. The diagram below represents an experimental set up to demonstrate a vital
process. Study the same and then answer the questions that follow :

Fig.

(i) Name the above process.

(ii) Define the above named process.

(iii) Mention two advantages of this process to the plant.

(iv) Name two liquids that could be used in this experiment.

(v) Why did the level of the liquid in the vertical tube rise ?

Answers

(i) This experiment is to demonstrate the process of osmosis.

(ii) Transfer of water or solvent molecules from a solution of lower concentration to higher
concentration through a semi-permeable membrane is called osmosis.
(iii) Advantages are :

(1) It helps in water absorption.

(2) It helps in stomatal movements.

(iv) Distilled water and concentrated sugar solution.

(v) The level of the liquid in the vertical tube rises due to the entry of water into it through the
parchment paper.

Question .11. The figure given below is a diagrammatic representation of a part of cross section of
the root in the root hair zone. Study the same and then answer the question that follow:

(i) Name the parts indicated by guidelines ‘1’ to ‘5’.

(ii) Is the root hair cell unicellular or multi-cellular ?

(iii) Draw a labelled diagram of the root hair cell as it would appear if some fertilizer is added to the
soil close to it.

(iv) Name the process responsible for the entry of water molecules from the soil into A1 and then
A2.

(v) What pressure is responsible for the movement of water in the direction indicated by arrows ?

(vi) How is this pressure set up ?

Answers

(i) Young root.

(ii) 1. Root hair 

2. Epidermis

 3. Cortex 
4. Endodermis 

5. Phloem 

6. Meta xylem (Xylem).

(iii) Function of part – 3 :

(a) Storage of starch grain.

(b) Conduct water from root hair to the inner tissues.

Function of part – 5 :

(a) Conduction of prepared food made in the leaves to the storage regions. 

(b) Storage of organic food matters.

(c) Lateral translocation of food.

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Question .12. Given below is the diagrammatic representation of the transverse section of a part
of a plant. Study the same and answer the questions that follow :

Fig.

(i) Name the part of the plant that is shown.

(ii) Label the parts 1 to 6, indicated in the diagram.

(iii) Write the functions of parts 3 and 5.

Answers :

(i) Young root.

(ii) 1. Root hair 

2. Epidermis

 3. Cortex 
4. Endodermis 

5. Phloem 

6. Meta xylem (Xylem).

(iii) Function of part – 3 :

(a) Storage of starch grain.

(b) Conduct water from root hair to the inner tissues.

Function of part – 5 :

(a) Conduction of prepared food made in the leaves to the storage regions. 

(b) Storage of organic food matters.

(c) Lateral translocation of food.

Question .13. Given below are the diagrams of a certain structure in plants in two conditions :

i) Name the structure shown.

(ii) Name the parts numbered 1 – 5.

(iii) What is the most apparent difference between A and B in the structure shown ?

(iv) Describe the mechanism which brings about the change in the structures depicted in A and B.

Answers :

(i) Stomata.

(ii) 1 – Guard cell.

2 – Cell wall towards the stomatal opening.

3 – Nucleus.

4 – Adjoining epidermal cell.

5 – Stomatal opening.

(iii) A shows an open stomata and B shows a closed stomata.

(iv) The opening and closing of stomata is regulated by the amount of water and solutes present in
the guard cells. The guard cells have thick inner wall facing the opening and thin outer wall on the
opposite side. Their cytoplasm contains chloroplasts. During the day, the guard cells begin
photosynthesis and the sugar produced during the process increases the osmotic pressure which
draws in water from the adjoining cells by endosmosis. Hence the guard cells become turgid and
bulge outwards due to their thin outer walls, thus widening the stomata.