Absorption by Roots- The Processes Involved

The most important function of the root is to absorb water and mineral nutrients from the soil.
Need of Water and Minerals for Plants

Need for Water

PhotosynthesisWater is one of the raw materials required
to carry out photosynthesis.
Transpiration Water is given out in the form of water
vapour by the plant.
Transportation Transport of minerals and sugar from the
roots to the other parts of the plant body.
Mechanical Water provides turgidity which is
Stiffness necessary for the stiffness of plant
tissues.

Need for Minerals

|Salts lons
Nitrates, Potassium,
phosphates, calcium,
sulphates magnesium,
chlorine

Characteristics of Roots for Absorbing Water

The ability of roots to draw water from the soil is dependent on the following factors:
The surface area provided by rootlets and root hair is enormous.
Root hair contains cell sap of a higher concentration than that of the surrounding water which allows
the movement of water by osmosis.
Root hair has thin cell walls and cell membranes which allow the movement of water molecules and
dissolved substances in and out of the cell.
Absorption and Conduction of Water and Minerals

The mechanism of absortbing water and minerals from the soil by roots occurs by five phenomena.

Process of Absorption and Conduction of Water Description

1. Imbibition Living or dead plant cells absorb water

by surface attraction.
In germinating seeds, the seed coat
ruptures due to imbibition.
2. Diffusion The free movement of molecules of a
substance from the region of its higher
concentration to the region of its lower
concentration.
3. Osmosis Movement of water molecules across a
semi-permeable membrane from a more
dilute solution to a less dilute solution.
4. Active Transport Active transport is the passage of a
substance from its lower concentration to
its higher concentration through a living
cell membrane using energy from the
cell.
Nutrients are absorbed by roots by active
transport.
Asemi-permeable membrane is one which allows the passage of molecules selectively.

Osmosis

Exosmosis
Endosmosis
(Water moves out of the (Water enters the cell)
cell)

Osmosis should continue until the concentration of water molecules becomes equal on both sides of the
membrane.
Astage will be reached when no osmosis occurs even if the concentration of water molecules is not the
same on the two sides of the membrane. This is due to the osmotic pressure.
Osmotic Pressure
Osmotic pressure is the minimum pressure which must be exerted to prevent the passage of the pure
solvent into the solution when the two are separated by a semi-permeable membrane.

Tonicity
Relative concentration of the solutions which determines the direction and extent of diffusion is called
tonicity.
Based on tonicity, solutions can be of three types:

Isotonic Solution Hypotonic Solution Hypertonic Solution

The relative The solution outside the The solution outside the
concentration of water cell has a lower solute cell has higher solute
molecules and the solute concentration than the concentration than the
on either side of the cell fluids inside the cell. fluids inside the cell.
membrane is the same. Endosmosis occurs as " Exosmosis occurs as the
Cell shape and size the water molecules water mnolecules move
remain unchanged. move into the cell. out from the cell.
Cells shrink in size and Cells slightly enlarge or
lose shape. even burst.
Plant cell in isotonic Plant cell in hypotonic Plant cell in hypertonic
solution: solution: solution:

Vacuole H0 H0

Differences between Diffusion and Osmosis

Diffusion Osmosis
" Movement of a substance from its higher Diffusion of water molecules across a
concentration to its lower concentration semi-permeable membrane from a more
when the two are in direct contact. dilute solution to a less dilute solution.
" No membrane is involved. Osmosis occurs across a semi
permeable membrane.
" Direct contact between the two Two solutions are separated by a semi
substances is necessary. permeable membrane.
" It occurs in gases as well as in liquids. Only water can move from its high
concentration to its low concentration.
1. Turgidity and Flaccidity
When a plant cell reaches a state where it cannot accommodate any more water, i.e. it is fully
distended, it is called turgid, and the condition or phenomenon is called turgidity.

Cell Wall Plasma Membrane

Vacuolar sap

Osmotic
Pressure
Water moves Wall
Turgor Pressure
into the cell Pressure
due to Osmotic
concentration
of cell contents Cell Contents Press
Cell wall Pestrains
lall expansion of cell
with wall pressure

When the cell wall is unable to bear the turgor pressure, it ruptures and the cellcontents burst out.

Uses of Turgidity in Plants

Provides rigidity
to soft tissues

Turgor helps in
Builds up root opening and
pressure in root closing of
cells stomata

Uses of
Turgidity

Turgor pressure
helps
mushrooms or Turgor
seedlings movement
sprout through
the hard ground
2. Plasmolysis and Flaccidity
" If a fully distended plant cell is kept in a salt solution for a few minutes, then it will lose its distended
appearance and the cytoplasm will shrink. The plasma membrane ill be withdrawn away from the
cellwall. This shrinkage from the cell wallis caled plasmolysis, and the condition is called
flaccidity.
The recovery or the reversal of plasmolysis is called deplasmolysis.
Salting of meat or addition of salt to pickles is a method of killing bacteria by plasmolysis. Water is
drawn out of bacterial cells, and thus, cells are killed.
Hypertonc Solution
Plasna
Vacuokar Mernbrane
Plasmoysed
Turgid Cell
VacuoleMernbrane Cait yal Ce

Nucleus-+

Root Pressure: It is the pressure developed in the roots due to the continued inward movement of water
through cell-to-cell osmosis which helps in the ascent of cell sap through the stem.
Experiment on Root Pressure: The upward flow of water is due to heavy pressure from the roots.
TWuTTTTTTTTT
Manometer

Cell Sap

Mercury Level
Rises

Bleeding: Loss of water, i.e. cell sap, through a cut stem.

Guttation
Sometimes, due to high root pressure, water is forced out through the end of leaf veins. This water
appears as tiny drops along the margins or the tip of the leaves.
This loss of excessive water is called guttation.
Importance of Root Hair and Ascent of Sap

Root hair contains cell sap which has higher concentration of salts as compared to the outside soil
water. This difference sets off osmosis, and thus, the roots absorb water.
Absorption of mineral elements from the soil involves active transport by cells.

Vascular Bundles

Vascular bundles constitute xylem and phioem.

Xylem and phloem collectively form the transport system throughout the entire plant.
Epidermis
Cortex
Pith
Cambium

Phloem
Xylem
IL

Xylem Phloem
Cambium

Xylem
It conducts water upwards in a plant.
It is situated deeper at the centre of the stem.

Phloem
" It conducts food from the leaves downwards to the stem.
The phloem is situated in the peripheral region of the stem, interior to the cambium.
If the phloem is girdled off, then the sap from the cut part will start oozing out, showing that the
material is carried in the downward direction in the phloem.
Forces Contributing to Ascent of Sap

Root Pressure Builds up sufficient force to push the sap in the xylem vessels
up to a certain height.
Capillarity Narrow diameter of xylem vessels causes the water to rise from
a lower level to fill up the vacuum created by the loss of water
due to transpiration.
Transpiration Pull Because water is lost by transpiration, more water is pulled up.
Thus, a continuous column of water is produced throughout the
stem.
Adhesion Adhesion causes water to stick to the surface of cels and draws
more water. This kind of force is important in all trees.