UNIT IV : PLANT PHYSIOLOGY

CHAPTER 11 : Transport in Plants

 Translocation:
Transport of substances in plants over longer distances through the vascular tissue like
Xylem and Phloem is called translocation.

 Means of transport:
The transport of material into and out of the cells is carried out by a number of methods.
These are diffusion, facilitated diffusion and active transport.

 Diffusion:

The movement of molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower

concentration to a region of lower concentration is called diffusion. It is passive and slow process.
No energy expenditure takes place.

 Facilitated diffusion:

A passive form of transport across a cell membrane made possible by the assistance of
membrance bound proteins (Aquaporins).

OR

The diffusion of hydrophilic substances along the concentration gradient through fixed
membrane transport protein without involving energy (ATP) expenditure is called facilitated
diffusion. For this the membrane possesses aquaporins and ion channels. No energy is utilized in
this process.
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 Aquaporins:
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 They are the water carrier proteins present on the surface of plant cell membrances. These
form channels are actively involved in water transport across the membrane of root hair cells.

 Passive symports & antiports:

 Some carrier or transport proteins allow diffusion only if two types of molecules moves together.
 In Symport: Both molecules cross the membrane in the same direction.
 In Antiport: Both molecule moves in opposite direction and
 In Uniport: Only one type of molecule moves across the cell membrane.

 Active transport:

The movement of molecules against a concentration gradient with the help of metabolic
energy (ATP).

OR

Movement of molecules from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher

concentration; because it is against; it requires energy.

 Active transport uses energy to pump molecules against a concentration gradient from a low
concentration to high concentration (uphill- transport). It is faster than passive transport.
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 Plant-Water Relations

 Water is essential for all physiological activities of the plant

 It provides the medium in which most substances are dissolved.
 The protoplasm of the cell contains water, in which different molecules are dissolved.
 A watermelon has over 92% water
 Most herbaceous plants have only 10 to 15% of its fresh weight as dry matter (of course,
distribution of water within a plant varies).
 A seed may appear dry but it still has water.

Water potential: “It is the difference between free energy of water molecules in a pure solvent and free
energy of water molecules in a solution”.

a) Water molecule possesses kinetic energy.

b) The greater the concentration of water in a system, the greater is its kinetic energy or water
potential.
c) Pure water has the highest water potential and it has zero (0) bar.
d) Water always moves from higher water potential to lower water potential. Water potential is
denoted by  (Psi) and measured in Pascals(Pa).
e) The water potential of a cell is affected by solute potential ( S) and pressure potential ( P).

f) Water potential of pure water at standard temperature which is not under any pressure is
taken to be as zero (by convention)

Osmosis:

 Osmosis can be defined as the diffusion of water across a semi permeable membrance is known
as osmosis.
 The net direction & rate of osmosis depends on both the pressure gradient and concentration
gradient.
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  Water will move from its region of higher chemical potential (or concentration ) to its region of
lower chemical potential until equilibrium is reached.
 At equilibrium the two chambers should have the water potential.

 An experiment to demonstrate Osmosis

A thistle funnel is filled with sucrose solution and kept inverted in a beaker containing water.

(a) Water will diffuse across the membrane to raise the level of the solution in the funnel. (This is
because of Osmosis).

(b) Pressure can be applied as shown to stop water movement into the funnel. (i.e., external pressure
applied from the upper part of the funnel, no water diffuses into the funnel through the membrane).

 Plasmolysis: Process of shrinkage of protoplasm in a cell due to exosmosis in hypertonic solution.

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 Note: The behavior of the plant cells with regard to movement of water depends on the
surrounding solution.

 Isotonic solution: If the external solution balances the osmotic pressure of the cytoplasm is said
to be isotonic.
 Hypotonic solution: If the external solution is more dilute than the cytoplasm, it is hypotonic.
 Hypertonic solution: If the external solution is more concentrated than cytoplasm, it is
hypotonic.

 Deplasmolysis: Restoration of plasmolysed cell to its normal condition by placing it in hypotonic

solution & allowing endosmosis is known as deplasmolysis.
 Turgor pressure: The hydrostatic pressure exerted by the cell wall due to endosmosis is called
Turgor pressure. A plant cell placed in hypotonic solution, water enters into the cell sap due
endosmosis and the cytoplasm exert pressure against the cell wall called turgor pressure.
 Imbibition: Imbibition is the phenomenon of adsorption of water (any other liquid ) by the
hydrophilic substance (solid particles) without forming a solution is called imbibitions.
Some examples of Imbibition:
 If a dry piece of wood is placed in water, it swells and increases in its volume.
 If dry gum or pieces of agar –agar are placed in water, they swell and their volume increases.
 When seeds are placed in water they swell up.
 Long distance transport of water:
 Mass flow: Mass flow is the movement of substances (Water, minerals and food) in bulk from
one point to another as a result of pressure differences between two points.
 Translocation: The bulk movement of substance through the conducting or vascular tissue is
called translocation.

 Transport of water in plants: Water is absorbed by root hairs, then water moves upto xylem by
two pathways apoplast and symplast pathway
a) Apoplast pathway: ”Cell to cell movement of water takes place exclusively through the
intercellular spaces and the walls of the cells”.
(Apoplast=free diffusional space outside the plasma membrane).
 Movement through the apoplast does not involve crossing the cell membrane.
 Movement depends on the gradient.
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 The apoplast does not provide any barrier to water movement.

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 Water movement is through mass flow.

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 b) Symplast pathway: ”Cell to Cell movement of water through the plasmodesmata”.

 System of interconnected protoplasts.

 Neighbouring cells are connected through cytoplasmic strands that extend through
plasmodesmata.
 Water enters into the cytoplasm by crossing the plasma membrane.
 Intercellular movement is through the plasmodesmta.(Symplast = a continuous network of
interconnected plant cell protoplasts)

Water movement up a plant:

 Root pressure: A hydrostatic pressure existing in roots which push the water up in xylem
vessels.
 Guttation: The exudation of water in the form of liquid drops through hydathodes of plants is
known as Guttation. The water loss in its liquid phase at night and early morning through special
openings of vein near the tip of leaves. Ex: Tomoto plant, Grass etc.

Transpiration pull
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 The upward conduction of water (Ascent of sap) through the xylem in plants can achieve fairly
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high rates. i.e., up to 15 meters per hour.

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  The driving force for upward conduction of water is transpiration from leaves. This is referred
as the cohesion –tension- transpiration pull model of water transport.

Transpiration pull theory:

 This theory is also cohesive force theory or cohesion tension theory.

 This theory was proposed by Dixon & Jolly in1984.
 This theory is based on the two physical forces.
 Cohesive & Adhesive forces of water molecules in the xylem vessels.
 Suction force or transpiration pull developed in the leaf. These two forces are responsible for
ascent of sap.
 Transpiration driven ascent of xylem sap depends on the following physical properties of water:
 Cohesion: Mutual attraction between water molecules.
 Adhesion: Attraction of molecules to polar surface ( such as the surface of tracheary elements)
 Surface tension: Water molecules are attracted to each other in the liquid phase.
These properties give water high tensile strength i.e., an ability to resist a pulling force
&high capillarity i.e. the ability to rise in thin tubes.

TRANSPIRATION

“Loss of water in the form of water vapour from the aerial parts of the plant body is called transpiration”.

Stomatal transpiration

“The loss of water takes place through the stomata which are the minute openings found on the surface of
leaves”.

 More number of stomata is confined to the surface of lower epidermis in dicotyledons

(Hypostomatic).
 In monocots stomata is confined to the surface of lower epidermis in dicotyledons
(Hypostomatic).
 In the floating hydrophytic plants the stomata are confined to upper surface of leaf
(Epistomatic).
 The rate of transpiration is determined by the number, structure and distribution of stomata.
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 The number of stomata distributed per unit area is called stomatal frequency or stomatal index.
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 Structure of stomatal apparatus

1. The stoma consists of two bean or kidney shaped cells called guard cells.

2. The outer wall of each guard cell is thin and elastic where as inner wall is thick and non elastic.

3. The Opening or pore present between the guard cells is called stoma or stomatal aperture.

4. The guard cells contain chloroplast that carry out photosynthesis. The guard cells are surrounded by
the epidermal cells called subsidiary cells or accessory cells.

5. The opening of stomata is aided due to the orientation microfibrils in the cell walls of guard cells.

6. Cellulose microfibrils are oriented radially making it easier for the stoma to open.

7. The stomata open during day time when the guard cells are turgid, and remain closed at night when
the guard cells are flaccid.

Role of transpiration (Advantages of transpiration):

 Creates transpiration pull for absorption and transport in plants.

 Supplies water for photosynthesis.
 Transport minerals from the soil to all parts of the plants.
 Cools leaf surfaces, sometimes 10 to 15 degrees, by evaporative cooling.
 Maintains the shape and structure of the pants be keeping cells turgid
 Measurements reveal that the forces generated by transpiration can create pressures sufficient
to lift a xylem sized column of water over 130 meters high.

Factors affecting transpiration: Temperature, light, humidity, wind speed, number and distribution of
stomata, water status of plant.

Factors affecting transpiration:

1) Light: Light has profound influence on the rate of transpiration. It plays an important role in
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opening and closing of stomata which in turn affects on rate of transpiration. During day time
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 stomata are opened, there by water evaporates through stomata. Whereas at night stomata
remain closed and transpiration doesn’t takes place.
2) Temperature: Temperature in the environment plays an important role in altering the rate of
transpiration. Higher the temperature in the atmosphere more is the rate of transpiration. The
increase in atmosphere temperature increases the vapour pressure in the intercellular spaces of
mesophyll tissue of leaves. This influence on high rate of transpiration. High temperature also
lowers the humidity that results in high rate of transpiration.
3) Humidity: The relative humidity (RH) of the atmosphere alters the rate of transpiration. The
rate of transpiration is inversely proportional to the relative humidity of the atmosphere. When
there is a low atmospheric humidity dry conditions prevail in the atmosphere that results in
higher rate of transpiration. On contrary, when the atmosphere is saturated with humidity, the
temperature is lowered and thus the rata of transpiration decreases. The Relative Humidity in
the atmosphere is measured by hygrometer.
4) Wind: The plants growing in an open field show high rate of transpiration. Because the velocity
of wind is more in open field. Greater the wind velocity higher is the rate of transpiration. This is
because high speed wind can decreases the relative humidity of the atmosphere that favours
high rata of transpiration.

Uptake and transport of mineral nutrients:

 Ions are absorbed by the roots by passive and active transport.

 The active uptake of ions requires ATP energy.
 Specific proteins in membranes of root hair cells actively pump ions from the soil into the
cytoplasm of epidermal cells and then xylem.
 The further transport of ions to all parts of the plant is carried through the transpiration stream.

The Pressure or Mass Flow Hypothesis:

 This theory was proposed by Ernst much (1930).

 This theory states that a turgor pressure gradient drives the unidirectional mass flox of solutes
and water through sieve tubes of the phloem.
 The food molecules flow an mass through the sieve tubes along a turgor pressure gradient
created between supply (source)end i.e., mesophyll tissue of the leaf and the consumption end
(sink) i.e., the roots.
 Turgor pressure means, the pressure on a cell wall that is created within the cell by the entry of
water.
 Pressure gradient causes movement of fluid from source end to sink through sieve tubes solutes
in the flowing fluid are carried passively from source to sink via mass flow.
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 Summary of the pressure flow hypothesis

The movement of sugars in the phloem begins at the source, where sugars are loaded (actively
transported) into a sieve tube. Loading of the phloem sets up a water potential gradient that facilitates
the mass movement in the phloem.

Transport of assimilates chiefly sucrose solutes from photosynthetic cells of the leaf (source end) into
sieve tubes of phloem with the help of ATP is termed as vein loading (phloem loading).

Ringing or Girdling Experiment

A ring of bark on the stem of a small tree is removed so as to remove the phloem tissue also. But only the
xylem remains intact in that region. This process of removing bark in the form of a ring is called girding.
After few days it is observed that, the region of the tree trunk just above the girdle is swollen. This is due
to the accumulation of sugars in this region. Such accumulation is due to translocation of solutes from the
leaves down towards the root

system. The food molecules could not translocated below the girdle because the phloem tissue is
removed in this region. After some time the root below the soil dies without getting food and the entire
plant also dies.

Differences between Transpiration and Guttation

Transpiration Guttation
1. Normal occurs during day time. 1. Usaually occurs in the night or early
2. Water is given out in the form of vapour. morning
3. Transpired water is pure. 2. Water is given out in the form of liquid
4. It occurs through stomata, lenticels or 3. Guttated water is impure (i.e. contains
cuticle solutes)
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5. It is a controlled phenomenon by 4. It occurs through hydathodes

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stomatal action 5. It is an uncontrolled phenomenon.

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