Transpiration

Learning Objective
• To appreciate that water and dissolved

substances are transported around the plant
in specialized transport tissues.
• To understand that water is lost from leaves
via the stomata.
• To understand how environmental
conditions can affect water movement
through plants.
Plant Transport
• Xylem moves water and solutes from the
roots to the leaves
• Phloem moves sucrose from leaves to the
rest of the plant. Amino acids are also
carried in phloem. The transport of
substances in the phloem is translocation.
• Both of these systems are rows of cells that
make continuous tubes running the full
length of the plant.
Xylem
• Xylem cells have extra reinforcement in
their cell walls, and this helps to support the
weight of the plant.
• The transport systems are arranged
differently in root and stem.
• In the root it has to resist forces that could
pull the plant out of the ground.
• In the stem it has to resist compression and
bending forces caused by the weight of the
plant and the wind
STEM
• Stem – the xylem and

phloem are arranged
in bundles near the
edge of the stem with
soft pith in the centre
to resist compression
and bending forces.
ROOT
• Root - xylem and

phloem in the centre of
the root to withstand
stretching forces. Root
hairs are extended cells
of the epidermis.
Cortex (pith)act as
winter store for starch.
Comparison of Xylem and
Phloem
Tissue Process What is moved Structure
Moves water and

Columns of hollow,
Xylem Transpiration minerals from roots to
dead reinforced cells
leaves
Moves sucrose, amino

Columns of living
Phloem Translocation acids,from leaves to
cells
rest of plant
Root Hair Cell and Osmosis
• Plants absorb water from the soil by osmosis. Root
hair cells are adapted for this by having a large
surface area to speed up osmosis.
• The absorbed water is transported through the
roots to the rest of the plant where it is used for
different purposes:
• It is a reactant used in photosynthesis
• It supports leaves and shoots by keeping the cells
rigid
• It cools the leaves by evaporation
• It transports dissolved minerals around the plant
Transpiration
• Transpiration explains how water moves up the
plant against gravity in tubes made of dead
xylem cells
• Water on the surface of spongy and palisade cells
(inside the leaf) evaporates and then diffuses out
of the leaf. This is called transpiration.
• More water is drawn out of the xylem cells inside
the leaf to replace what's lost.
• As the xylem cells make a continuous tube from
the leaf, down the stem to the roots, this acts like a
drinking straw, producing a flow of water and
dissolved minerals from roots to leaves.
Transpiration
• Water moves from a region of high water
potential to a region of low water potential
down a water potential gradient.
• Water moves up the plant because the water
potential in the air is less than the water
potential in the plant’s roots.
• Less water vapour in the air, lower the
water potential
• Air spaces in the leaf have a higher water
potential. So water vapour diffuses out of
the leaf into air.
Transpiration
• Loss of water vapour from leaf reduces the
water potential in the air spaces inside it.
• Water potential in wet cell walls of the
mesophyll cells is more. Water therefore
moves from the cell walls into air spaces.
• As water evaporates from these walls, water
potential in the cell wall is reduced. It has
lower water potential than xylem vessels.
• Water moves down the water potential
gradient from the xylem vessels and into the
walls of the mesophyll cells.
Transpiration
• This reduces pressure at the top of xylem vessel.
Pressure at top is lower than pressure at the bottom.
• Difference in pressure causes water to move up the
xylem vessel.
• Transpiration produces a tension known as
transpiration pull which draws water up through
the xylem vessels.
• Water is able to flow in a continuous stream up the
xylem vessels because of cohesion and adhesion.
Water molecules tend to stick to each other
(cohesion) and to the walls of xylem (adhesion).
Factors Affecting Transpiration
Factor Description Explanation
The stomata (openings in the

In bright light transpiration leaf) open wider to allow
Light
increases more carbon dioxide into the
leaf for photosynthesis
Transpiration is faster in Evaporation and diffusion are

Temperature
higher temperatures faster at higher temperatures
Water vapour is removed

quickly by air movement,
Transpiration is faster in
Wind speeding up diffusion of
windy conditions
more water vapour out of the
leaf
Diffusion of water vapours
Transpiration is slower in out of the leaf slows down if
Humidity
humid conditions the leaf is already surrounded
by moist air
Tropism
• Tropism – growth response to a stimulus

• Positive tropism – towards the stimulus
• Negative tropism – away from the
stimulus
• Phototropism – growth response to the
direction of light
• Geotropism – growth response to the
direction of gravity
Tropism
Response Part of plant Direction of growth Advantage
To get maximum
Positive Growth towards
Stem tip light for
phototropism light
photosynthesis
Negative Growth away from Less chance of

Root tip
phototropism light drying out
More chance of
Positive geotropism Root tip Towards gravity
finding moisture
More chance of
Negative geotropism Stem tip Away from gravity
finding light
Auxin Hormone
• Auxin is a plant hormone responsible for
controlling the direction of growth of root tips and
stem tips in response to different stimuli including
light and gravity.
• Auxin is made at the tips of stems and roots. It's
moved in solution to older parts of the stem and root
where it changes the elasticity of the cells.
• Light and gravity interfere with the transport of
auxin causing it to be unevenly distributed.
Auxin Hormone
• Phototropism and Auxin
• When light comes from above auxin spreads evenly
down the stem. The stem grows straight.
• When light comes from one side, auxin spreads
down the shaded side of the stem.
• Auxin makes stem cells grow faster in shaded area
and causes the stem to bend towards the light.
Auxin Hormone
• Geotropism and Auxin
• When Plant is laid on its side auxin gathers in the
lower half of the stem and root.
• Auxin in root slows down the growth of root cells.
The root curves downwards.
• Auxin speeds up the growth of stem cells. The stem
curves upward.
Uses of Plant Hormones
• Selective weedkillers kill some plants but not
others. The selective weedkiller contains growth
hormone that causes the weeds to grow too
quickly. The weedkiller is absorbed in larger
quantities by the weeds than the beneficial plants.
• Rooting powder makes stem cuttings quickly

develop roots. Rooting powder contains growth
hormones.
Uses of Plant Hormones
• Some hormones slow the ripening of fruits and
others speed it up. These hormones and their
inhibitors are useful for delaying ripening during
transport or when fruit is displayed in shops.
• Dormancy stops seeds germinating until
conditions are ideal for growth. Hormones can be
used to remove the dormancy of a seed so it can
germinate at all times of year.
• Hormones can also be used to make plants grow
bushier, make them flower or control the growth of
hedge plants.

Transpiration

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Learning Objective

• To appreciate that water and dissolved

• Stem – the xylem and

• Root - xylem and

Moves water and

Moves sucrose, amino

The stomata (openings in the

Transpiration is faster in Evaporation and diffusion are

Water vapour is removed

• Tropism – growth response to a stimulus

Negative Growth away from Less chance of

• Rooting powder makes stem cuttings quickly

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