TRANSPORT OF

MINERALS
OMER MOHAMMED
XI-A
 UPTAKE OF MINERAL IONS

■ MOST THE MINERALS CANNOT ENTER THE ROOT BY PASSIVE ABSORPTION. THE
REASON FOR THIS INCLUDE:
 MINERALS OCCUR IN THE SOIL AS CHARGED PARTICLES AND HENCE CANNOT MOVE
ACROSS THE MEMBRANE.
 THE CONECENTRATION OF MINERALS IN THE SOIL IS LOWER THN THE
CONCENTRATION OF MINERALS IN THE ROOT.
 HOWEVER, SOME MINERALS ENTER THE ROOT PASSIVELY.
 SPECIFIC PROTEINS IN THE MEMBRANES OF ROOT HAIR CELLS ACTIVELY PUMP
IONS FROM SOIL TO THE CYTOPLASM OF EPIDERMAL CELLS.
 TRANSPORT OF MINERAL IONS

■ ONCE IN THE XYLEM, THE MINERAL IONS ARE TRANSPORTED TO ALL PLANTS THROUGH
TRANSPIRATION STREAM.
■ UNLOADING OF MINERAL IONS TAKES PLACE AT FINE VEIN ENDINGS THROUH ACTIVE
UPTAKE BY CELLS AND ALSO BY DIFFUSION.
■ MINERAL IONS ARE OFTEN REMOBILISED FROM OLDER SENESCING PARTS TO
YOUNGER LEAVES OR OTHER PARTS.
■ SOME OF THE N2 IS TRANSPORTED AS INORANIC IONS WHILE MOST OF THEM ARE
CARRIED IN ORGANIC FORM SUCH AS AMINO ANCIDS AND OTHER COMPOUNDS.
■ SMALL AMOUNTS OF SULPHUR AND PHOSPHORUS ARE CARRIED AS ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS.
■ THERE IS ALSO EXCHANGE OF MATERIALS BETWEEN XYLEM AND PHLOEM.
 PHLOEM TRANSPORT

■ THE SOURCE FOR PHLOEM TRANSPORT IS THE LEAF AND THE SINK IS ANY PART
THAT NEEDS FOOD OR THE STORAGE ORGAN.
■ SINCE THE SOURCE-SINK RELATIONSHIP CAN VARY, THE PHLOEM TRANSPORT IS BI-
DIRECTIONAL.
■ PHLOEM SAP CONSISTS OF WATER, SUCROSE, AMINO ACIDS AND HORMONES.
 PRESSURE FLOW HYPOTHESIS

■ THE PRESSURE FLOW HYPOTHESIS IS THE MOST ACCEPTED MECHANISM FOR

TRANSLOCATION OF SUGARS FROM SOURCE TO SINK.
■ THE SUCROSE MOVE TO THE COMPANION CELLS AND THEN TO THE LIVING SIEVE TUBE
CELLS BY ACTIVE TRANSPORT.
■ THIS PROCESS OF LOADING CAUSES A HYPERTONIC CONDITION IN THE PHJLOEM. AS A
RESULT, WATER FROM THE ADJACENT XYLEM MOVES TO THE PHLOEM BY OSMOSIS.
■ AT THE SINK, ACTIVE TRANSPORT MOVES THE SUCROSE OUT OF THE PHLOEM SAP TO
THE CELLS USING THESE SUARS FOR COVERTING INTO ENERGY, STARCH, CELLULOSE.
■ AS SUGARS ARE REMOVED, THE OSMOTIC PRESSURE DECREASES AND WATER MOVES
OUT OF THE PHLOEM TO THE ADJACENT XYLEM.
■ PHLOEM IS COMPOSED OF SIEVE TUBE CELLS THAT FORM LONG COLUMNS FOR
TRANSPORT, WITH THEIR END WALLS PLACED ONE OVER THE OTHER.
■ THE END WALLS CALLED SIEVE PLATES, HAVE PORES CALLED SIEVE PORES.
■ CYTOPLASMIC STRANDS PASS THROUGH THE SIEVE PORES WHICH HELP IN
TRANSPORT OF SUGARS.
 GIRDLING EXPERIMENT

■ GIRDLING EXPERIMENT HAS BEEN USED TO IDENTIFY THE TISSUE THROUGH

WHICH FOOD IS TRANSPORTED.
■ A RING OF BARK IS REMOVED FROM THE TRUNK UNTO THE DEPTH OF PHLOEM
■ IN THE ABSENCE OF PHLOEM, FOOD IS NOT TRANSLOCATED DOWNWARDS, AS A
CONSEQUENCE, THE PORTION OF THE BARK ABOVE THE GIRDLE BECOMES
SWOLLEN AFTER A FEW WEEKS.
■ THIS INDICATES THAT PHLOEM IS THE TISSUE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSPORT OF
ORGANIC FOOD.
THANK YOU