Lecture - 2.

Role of water – Importance and Significance

Water is the main constituent of protoplasm, occupies 90-95 % of its total weight
 Stabilizes the structure of carbohydrates proteins, nucleic acid and enzymes etc. Lose
their physical and chemical properties in the absence of water.
Water participates directly in many metabolic processes. Inter conversion of
carbohydrates and organic acids depend upon hydrolysis and condensation reaction.
Water increases the rate of respiration. Seeds respire fast in the presence of water.

Water is the source of hydrogen atom for the reduction of CO2 in the reaction of
photosynthesis.
Water acts as a solvent and acts as a carrier for many substance. If forms the medium in
which several reactions take place.
Water present in the vacuoles helps in maintaining the turgidity of the cells which is a must
for proper activities of life and to maintain this from and structure.
Water helps in translocation of solutes
In tropical plants, water plays a very important role of thermal regulation against high
temperature.
The elongation phase of cell growth depends on absorption of water.
 Water Potential

It refers to free energy states of

water.

The concepts derived from the

second law of thermodynamics.

In thermodynamics, free energy is

defined as the potential for
performing work.
A water fall is a good example. The water at the top of
the fall has a higher potential for performing work than
the water at the base of the fall. The water is moving
from an area of higher free energy to an area of lower
free energy. The free energy from water is the power
source for waterwheels and hydroelectric facilities.
Free energy status of water =
Chemical bond energy + Kinetic energy

Water Potential – Definition

It is the free energy status of water in a system, as compared to
the free energy status of pure water at same temp. (T) and
pressure (P).
The greek symbol for Water Potential, ΨW, is the letter ‘psi’
(pronounced ‘sigh’).
Several forces act on water to alter its ability or potential to do
work. Again, these forces are pressure, concentration, electrical
and gravity; added together they make up the Water Potential

Water Potential = Pressure + Concentration + Electrical + Gravity

but only the first two of these are important………?

Water Potential (ΨW ) = ΨP + ΨS + ΨE + ΨG
Where,
ΨP = pressure potential
ΨS = osmotic or solute potential
ΨE = electrical potential
- ignore because water is uncharged
ΨG = gravitational potential
- ignore because influence of gravity is very less.
therefore, Water Potential (Ψw) = ΨP + ΨS
Where, ΨP = pressure potential
- represents the pressure in addition to atmospheric pressure
ΨS = osmotic or solute potential
- represents the effect of dissolved solutes on water potential;

Unit for
addition Waterwill
of solutes Potential
always lower the water potential
-Expressed in pressure units (bars, atmospheres)
1 bar = 0.987 atmospheres
- SI unit of pressure is pascals (Pa)
(or) Megapascal (MPa) = 10 bars
= 9.87 atm.
 Water Potential (Ψ W) of pure water
- cannot be measured (or) determined
- fixed as Zero “0” at 1 atm. and particular temp.
 ΨW is lowered by addition of solutes and since Ψ W of pure
pure water is zero, all other water potential values will be
negative.
Movement of water will takes place in all system from a
region of High water potential to Low water potential
( less negative ) (More negative)

 Water potential values are always negative

for example, all plant cells contain solutes which will always
lower the water potential
-Water Potential (Ψ W )
-Addition of water soluble solutes decreases the water potential
- Presence of charged molecules decreases the water potential
- Reduction in Temp. and Gravity decreases the water potential
• The addition of solutes -Reduces water potential

0.1 M solution

Pure
water

H2O
ΨP= 0
Ψ S = - 0.23
Ψ W = 0 MPa
Ψ W = - 0.23 MPa
 Water Potential (Ψ W )
- Increase in Temp. increases the water potential
- Increase in pressure increases the water potential
• Application of physical pressure - Increases water potential

H2O
H2 O
Ψ P = 0.23 Ψ P = 0.30
Ψ S = -0.23 Ψ S = - 0.23
Ψ W = 0 MPa Ψ W = 0 MPa Ψ W = - 0.07 MPa
Ψ W = 0 MPa
• Negative pressure - Decreases water potential

H 2O
Ψ P = - 0.30 ΨP= 0
ΨS = 0 Ψ S = - 0.23
Ψ W = - 0.30MPa Ψ W = - 0.23 MPa
 Osmotic Pressure (O.P) :

As a result of the separation of solution from its solvent (or) the

two solutions by the semi permeable membrane, a pressure is
developed in solution due to the presents of dissolved solutes in
it. This is called as osmotic pressure (O.P).

OP is measured in terms of atmospheres and is directly

proportional to the concentration of dissolved solutes in the
solution. More concentration solution has higher O.P.

O.P of a solution is always higher than its pure solvent.

Osmotic pressure in a solution results due to the presence of
solutes.
 Solutes lower the water potential.
Therefore osmotic pressure (O.P) is a quantitative index of the
lowering of water potential in a solution and using terminology
is called as osmotic potential (ΨS).
 Osmotic pressure and osmotic potential are numerically equal
but opposite in sign. Osmotic pressure has positive (+) sign.
Osmotic potential (s) has negative (-) sign.
• If a flaccid cell is placed in an environment with a higher
solute concentration
-The cell will lose water and become plasmolyzed
Initial flaccid cell
ΨP= 0
0.4 M sucrose solution
Ψ S = - 0.7
ΨP= 0 Ψ W = - 0.70MPa
Ψ S = -0.90
Plasmolyzed cell at
osmotic equilibrium Ψ W = - 0.90MPa
with its surroundings
ΨP= 0
Ψ S = -0.90
Ψ W = - 0.90MPa
• If the same flaccid cell is placed in a solution
with a lower solute concentration
– The cell will gain water and become turgid
Initial flaccid cell:
ΨP= 0 Distilled water
Ψ S = -0.70
Ψ W = - 0.70MPa ΨP= 0
ΨS = 0
Turgid cell
Ψ W = 0MPa at osmotic equilibrium with its
surroundings
Ψ P = - 0.70
Ψ S = - 0.70
Ψ W = 0 MPa
Diffusion: movement of particles or molecules from a region of
higher concentrations to a region of lower concentration is
called as diffusion.
DIFFUSION
The rate of diffusion of gases is faster than liquids or solutes.
The diffusing particles have a certain pressure called as the
diffusion pressure which is directly proportional to the number
or concentration of the diffusing particles.
 Therefore the diffusion takes place always from a region of
higher diffusion pressure to a region of lower diffusion pressure
(i.e) along a diffusion pressure gradient.

The rate of diffusion increases if,

•the diffusion pressure gradient is steeper
•the temperature is increased
•the density of the diffusing particles is lesser
•the medium through which diffusion occurs is less
concentrated.
Diffusion : important role in the life of the plants.
•It is an essential step in the exchange of gases during
respiration and photosynthesis
•During passive salt uptake, the ions are absorbed by
diffusion
•Last step in stomatal transpiration is the diffusion of
water vapours from the intercellular spaces into the
outer atmosphere occurs through open stomata.
Osmosis: diffusion across a semi-permeable membrane.
During osmosis, the movement of solvent molecules taken place
form :
the solution whose osmotic pressure is lower (i.e. less
concentration or hypotonic) into the solution whose osmotic
pressure is higher (i.e, more concentrated or hypertonic).
Endosmosis

When living plant cell is placed in water or hypotonic solution

whose O.P is lower than cell sap, water enters into the cell sap by
osmosis and the process is called endosmosis.
 As a result of entry of water with the cell sap, a pressure is
developed which presses the protoplasm against the cell wall and
the cell becomes turgid. This pressure is called as turgor
pressure.
Consequence of the turgor pressure is the wall pressure which
is exerted by the elastic cell wall against the expanding
protoplasm. At a given time, turgor pressure (T.P) equals the
wall pressure (W.P).
T.P = W.P
High Ψp
Osmotic diffusion of solvent molecules will not take place if the two solutions separated
by the semi permeable membrane are of equal concentration having equal Osmotic
pressures (i.e., they are isotonic).
In plant cells, plasma membrane and tonoplant act as selectively permeable or
differentially permeable membrane.
Exosmosis
when a plant cell is placed in hypertonic solution (whose
O.P is higher than cell sap) the water comes out of the cell sap
into the outer solution and the cell becomes flaccid. This
process is known as exosmosis.
Low Ψp
Significance of osmosis in plants
1.Large quantities of water are absorbed by roots from the
soil by osmosis the turgidity of the cells and hence the shape
or form of their organs is maintained.

2.The resistance of plants to drought and frost increases with

increase in osmotic pressure of their cells.

3.Cell to cell movement of water and other substances

dissolved in it involves osmosis

4.Opening and closing of stomata depend upon the turgor

pressure of the guard cells

5.Due to osmosis, Turgidity of the cells of the young seedling

allows them to come out of the soil
PLASMOLYSIS
When a plant cell or tissue is placed in hypertonic solution water come out from the cell
sap into the outer solution due to exosmosis and the protoplasm begins to contract from
the cell wall. This is called as incipient plasmolysis.

The protoplasm separate from the cell wall and assures a spherical form and the
phenomenon is called plasmolysis. If a plasmolysed cell in tissue is placed in water, the
process of endosmosis take place. Water enters into the cell sap, the cell becomes turgid
and the protoplasm again assumes it normal shape and position. This phenomenon is
called deplasmolysis.
Advantages of plasmolysis
1. It indicates the semi permeable nature of the
plasmamembrane.

2. It is used in determining the osmotic pressure of the cell sap.

3. Plasmolysis phenomenon is used in salting of meat and fishes.

Addition of concentrated sugar solution to jam and jellies to
check the growth of fungi and bacteria which become
plasmolysed in concentrated solution.
DIFFUSION PRESSURE DEFICIT (DPD)
•The difference between the diffusion pressure of the solution and its solvent at a particular
temperature and atmosphere conditions is called as diffusion pressure deficit (D.P.D).
•Diffusion pressure of a solution is always lower than its pure solvent.
•If the solution is more concentrated D.P.D increases but it decreases with the dilution of the
solution.
•D.P.D of the cell sap or the cells is a measure of the ability of the cells to absorb water
and hence is often called as the suction pressure (S.P).
• It is related with osmotic pressure (O.P) and turgor pressure (T.P) of cell sap and also the
wall pressure (W.P) as follows.
D.P.D. (S.P) = O.P – W.P
(W.P) = T.P
Therefore, D.P.D = O.P – T.P
Due to the entry of the water the osmotic pressure of the cell sap decreases while its turgor
pressure is increased so much, so that in a fully turgid cell T.P equals the O.P
O.P = T.P (fully turgid cell) = D.P.D = O
In fully plasmolysed cells: T.P = O
So D.P.D = O.P
IMBIBITION
Certain substances if placed in a particular liquid absorb it and swell up.
These substances are called as imbibants and the phenomenon as imbibition, certain
force of attraction is existing between imbibant and the imbibed substance. In plants,
the hydrophilic colloids viz., protein and carbohydrates such as starch, cellulose and
pectic substances have strong attraction towards water.

Imbibition plays a very important role in the life of plants. The first step in the
absorption of water by the roots of higher plants is the imbibition of water by the cell
walls of the root hairs.

Dry seeds require water by imbibition for germination.

As a result of imbibition, a pressure is developed which is called as imbibition

pressure or matric potential (m). It is analogous to the osmotic potential of a
solution. With reference to pure water, the values of m are always negative. The
water potential of an imbibant is equal to its matric potential plus any turgor or other
pressure (pressure potential) which may be imposed upon the imbibant.

w = m + P
Field capacity
After heavy rain fall or irrigation of the soil some water is drained off along the
slopes while the rest percolates down in the soil. Out of this water, some amount
of water gradually reaches the water table under the force of gravity
(gravitational water) while the rest is retained by the soil. This amount of water
retained by the soil is called as field capacity or water holding capacity of the
soil.
Field capacity is affected by soil profiles soil structure and temperature.
The effective depth of a soil, the clay content of the soil within that depth,
determines the water holding capacity of the profile.
Effective soil depth varies between plant species. Wheat is used as the
benchmark plant in this assessment. Available water holding capacity rankings
are estimated from soil texture, structure and stone content within the potential
root zone of a wheat plant.
Water-holding capacity is controlled primarily by soil texture and organic
matter. Soils with smaller particles (silt and clay) have a larger surface area
than those with larger sand particles, and a large surface area allows a soil to
hold more water. soil with a high percentage of silt and clay particles, which
describes fine soil, has a higher water-holding capacity.
At field capacity, the soil water potential is –0.1 to –0.3 bars.
Permanent wilting percentage or wilting coefficient
The percentage of soil water left after the plants growing in that
soil has permanently wilted is called as permanent wiling
percentage or the wilting coefficient.
All soils retain water that plants are unable to extract; clays hold
the most unavailable water while sands hold the least.
The soil water potential at permanent wilting is -15 to -18 bars.