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Transport in ·p1,fnts Chapter
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@ PLANT-WATER RELATIONS
CD INTRODUCTION 'a ter Is essential for all physiological activities of plant. Because
ln a flowering plant the substances that would need to be transported are water, mineral nutrients, organic nutrients and plant growth
of its high demand water is often the limiting factor for plant
regulators.
growth and productivity.
·w ater and mineral nutrients are taken up by roots and food Is synthesised In the leaves. Tenna:
But plants do not have a circulatory system. ~ a t e r Potential : water molecules possess kinetic enetgy.
in plants, there are two broad strategies for transport, short-<list.aJlce and ~istaoce. The greater the concentration of water in a system, the
greater is its kinetic energy or water potential.
hort-<listance movement is lhrough-d~ n . ~oplasmic streamin.9 and ~ve transeort; and transport through longer distances is
~ ure water have greatest water potential
through vascular system (xylem and ~ ) and is called TRANSLOCATION.
~ ater moves from a system at higher water potential to the
ransport in xylem is essentially UNIDIRECTIOllf.AL (of water and minerals) from roots to leaves through the stems. one having tow water potential.
~ i c and mineral nutrients undergo MULTIDIRECTIONAI.. transport. ~ is denoted by Psi Of" 'I' and expressed in pascals.
rom SENESCENT plant- parts nutrients are withdrawn and moved to growing plants. So the transport Is complex but orderly. Each ~ a t e r potential7fi>urewater at standard temperature.
organ is receiving some substances and giving out some olher.
---- Which Is not under a ny pressure, is taken as ze~o.
~olute Potential : The magnitude of lowering of
_-:~ -:~
@ SHORT DISTANCE MOVEMENT water poterdil!I due to dissolution of solute is called
solule potential or 'I's
Property Simple Facilitated I Active
Diffusion Diffusion ~ 'I's is always negative.
.
I§~
the solute molecules, the lower is the 'l's 1
1
No Yes . . _ Transported a.-3:- For a solution at a ~ pressure.
No Yes Yes
Outer~ .... Inner~
(Waler potential) ( 'l'w= '1'4 (Solute potential)
Yes of cell . of cell J.,-'Numericalty osmotic pressure is equivalent to the
No Yes of cell
Membrane Membrane osmotic potential but the sign is opposite.
No No Yes
Fig. : Facilitated diffusion Osmotic pressure is the positive p~re applied,_
ATP No No Yes while osmotic potential is negative.
11 Pressure Potential : Pressure builds up in a plant
'io n is ~ ns for ~ movement with in ~assive symports and antiports
system when water enters a plant cell due to
symport two molecules diffusion, it makes the ~ II turgid,. this increases the
plant body.
mov
~ ther in the~ >( IC )
4) pressurel)otential.
-
,a are protei~ t fonn pores in~ 8
direction and in opposite ~ IS usually ~
mbrane of Plastids, Mitochondria,,!!)d some Bactena
direction in antiport ~ hough negative potential or ~ n xylem
facilitated diffusion extracellular molecule is bound to t,_J;v- ln uniport a molecule moves plays a major role In water transpgrt,
transport protein which then rotates and releases the across a membrane ~Water Potential is affected by both solute and
molecule inside the cell, e.g., ~ er channels-maJl,e 9f independent of other f?E!SSUre potential. c..
Membrane
@siff!_"'nl types of aquaPQ!!,ns. molecules in one direction. -- =_
re_!!!lonshJe Is : ,-1-,l:'-w '1'_ _+_'1'-:--p,l
Fig. : Facililated diffusion 5
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OSMOSIS PLASMOLYSIS IMBIBITION @ LONG DISTANCE TRANSPORT
Refel' specifically to the diffusion Occurs when water moves out of the cell and cell lk"'Special tyJ,e of diffusion la a ~ - tt can account for
• of water across a differentially or membrane of plant cell shrinks away from Its cell wall. when water Is absorbed short cfistance movemenL
~ l y penneable membrane. by solids-<:OlloidS
his happens when a cell or tissue Is placed In ong distance movement of water and minerals
causing them to increase
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'et direction and rate of osmosis
deP8f1dS on both pressure radientO hypertonic solution.
in volume and food generally occur by man or bulk flow.
and concentration gradient. s; e process of plasmoiysls is reversible. When cells ar, 'ater potential gradient ass flow ii1_en maai j movement due to
,. ,Water moves from higher chemical placed in hypotonic solution the cell regains its shape. betWeen the ~
~ r e differences between the two points.
poteAtial to region of lower chemical hen water flow into the cell and out of the cells are in and the liquid imbibed is
essential for imbibitior!- Sulk movement is through vascular tissues
- until equilibrium is reached. equilibrium, the cells are said to be -I< or any sutJstanCe to ca11e<('rRANSLOCATION.)
Pressure imbibe any liquid, affinity
Xylem mainly translocates ~ • MINERAL
l between the ads(Jrbant
and the liquid Is also a SALTS, some g,RC3ANIC N! TRQGE"' and
p,e-requisite. HORMONES.
Exanple : ~ of LOEM translocates a variety of ~ anic and
water by . . . and d,y
wood ~ le solutes.
'a terls absorbed by~ distind pathwaVStj)
Watermelon has over 92%
Turgid
water. helbaceOUS pianii tY"'Apoplut : A system of adjacent cell waH
iiave° only 10 to 15% of except at casparian strips of endodermia.
fresh weight as dry wt. A This movement Is dep endent on_Jhe
(b)
-
- _ , ffl8IIY appea dead
'fig.:: [)emonstration of osmosis-Thistle ~ 'f'itsllll has water. gradient.
t.,9/'Symplast: A system of Interconnected
funnel experi!Tlent -
protoplasts.
\X'fransport proteins offendodennal cells,)re control points, where a plant adjusts the quantity and
types of solutes that reach xylem
~ t endodermis because of suberi.°• e vely tranli2£!W ions in one direct!Qrl.*
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® WATER MOVEMENT UP APLANT -. - - . -
~ ot Pressure : Only provide a modest pus~ in ~ process of water transport. They do not P!!Y a
major role in water movement up talr plants.
\Y'1'he greatest contribution of root p ressure is to re-establish the continuous chains of water
e.
Xylem
molecules in xyl@m . _.. #\et-< v pro c.e. S
~ In many herbaceous plants, grass blades, root pressure is the cause of loss_ of water in the form of CJ :&yn.,iast
. .. apoplaat
liqui(j droplets called GUTTATI0~.
J.t-fRANSPIRATI0N PULL : Cohesion-tension-transpiration pull model of water transport accomplishes Fig.: Pathway of water movement in plants
t.k"'fn some plants symbiotic mycorrhlzal association of fungus with root
water movement in tall plants. ,l,
Transpiration is the evaporative loss of water by plants through stomata. system help In water and mineral absorption Pin~s seedsj ./6
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The opening of stomata is caused due to change in UPTAKE AND TRANSPORT OF MINERAL NUTRIENTS ----....;
l.!:!_rgidity of guard cells . - ~ lants obtain their carbon and most of their oxygen from CO2 in the atmosphere. However, their remaining nutrition '.
-1, + requirements are obtained from water and minerals in the soil. 1
Opening is also aided b~ rad,ai onentation~of cellulose ~ st minerals must enter the root b~ active absorptioj into the cytoplasm of epidermal cejJ.
!
microfibrils in ce}I wait of guard cell. '-3<1'he active uptake of Ions Is partly responsible for the water potential gradient in roots and therefore for the
uptake of water by osmosis.
~ ome ions also move into epidermal cells passive!Y.
Microfibrils t \,..k""Mineral ions are frequenUy REMOBILISED from older, senescing, dying parts {leaves) to younger leaves.
Guard cell - +-i- - --~k= ~ laments most readily mobilised are Qhosphorus, nitrOQ!n and potassium . Some elements tike{calcium
Stomata! are not remobili~ d.
aperture
Fig. : Stomata! aperture with guard cells @ PHLOEM TRANSPORT : PRESSURE
FLOW OR MASS FLOW HYPOTHESIS
\..Y.'Fooct, primaril}{SUCRose\ 1s transported
Palisade by vascular tissue phloem from source to sink.
Xylem
Phloem
~ ource :
(storage)
(synthesise food),.!2Q!§
f
Sugar solution flows sieve lubes; =
to regions of low water followa by osmosis li_!9a
-Ink : Where needed or stored (buds of ~ ) turgor pre~ prMSU
~ Ince source - sink relation is variable, so 7
DilfuaionlnlD Stomata! ~lrecti9n of.movement of phloem can be Sugars leave sieve bJbe
aurroundlng ...
Fig. : Water movement in the leaf

pore
1bi-directional.\
•.,K.'
*
F!_tlloem sap is mainly ~
*nd ~ •
* Root

for metabolism and

storage; water follows
by osmosis
-1, but other sugars, hormones and amino-acids Fig. : Mechanism of translocation
Transpiration driven ascent of xylem sap depends are also translocated through phloem. MASS FLOW HYPOTHESIS
mainly on phy sical
...;.
propei@!..!3ter. . GIRDLING EXPERIMENT
@Jdentifies the tissues through which food
t.Y."'fhe accepted mechanism used for the translocation of sugars
from source to sink is called th{pressure flow hypothesis}
is transported.
® TRANSPIRATION & PHOTOSYNTHESIS- @ It shows that phloem is the tissue
. Glucose Sucrose
A COMPROMISE
adlvely photosynthesising plant has an Insatiable
@
responsible for food translocatloo .
irf
~d transport takes place one \

(Prepared
at the sou~
(~onverted to
disaccharide)
_.
,l,< Loadin~ *
<@lie trans~
direction, i.e. towards
- the roots .'jc Unloading_ Living phloem siev!!
hotosynthesis is limited by available water which
(f.ctive transport). 'ft tube cells
can be swiftly depleted by transpiration.
. 'A C4 plant loses only half as much water as a C3-plant for the same amount of CO2 fixed. tBuilds osmotic pressu;:;--t
Sink.,_ .,_ .._ .._ .,_ Water from xylem
~ ~at!ge,~ t. h! mldlty and ~ nd speed affect transpiration. (used or storeQ) • • • • .: •••••••• • • ·"1
ant factors like ~ rand distribution of stomata, percent of open stomata, water status of plants, canopy
etc. affect transpiration. - oadi!1Q and ~n~
...a:--C g are ae!lve P~ _:..,
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