TRANSPIRATION

INTRODUCTION
 Transpiration is loss of water from the leaves through the stomata.
 Loss of water by plants is very important for transport in plants and they
cannot survive without transpiration.
 It helps to cool down the plant
 And it causes water to travel upwards from the roots bringing dissolved
minerals and nutrients to the upper part of the plant.
CONDITIONS THAT AFFECTS THE RATE OF TRANSPIRATIONS
The rate at which transpiration occurs is important because if water loss happens
faster than the plant will dehydrate (wilt) and eventually die.
To prevent wilting, the soil must contain enough water for plants to replace the
lost one. There are several environmental factors that influence the rate at which
transpiration occurs. Those factors include:

 SUNLIGHT: plant transpire more rapidly in light than in the dark. That is
because light stimulates the opening of the stomata hence evaporation
takes place. Light also warms the leaves to speed up transpiration.
 TEMPERATURE: plant transpire at a faster rate at high temperature because
water evaporates fast when temperature raises.
 HUMIDITY: when the air surrounding the leaf is dry, it is said to have low
humidity. If humidity is low the rate of transpiration increases.
 WIND: when there is no wind, the air surrounding a leaf becomes more
humid because water vapor released by the leaf is not blown away.
Therefore, wind increase the rate of transpiration.