Names: _____________________________________________ Date: ____________ Period: _____

Lab: What is the role of leaves in transpiration?

The major force in water transport is provided by the evaporation of water from leaves during
transpiration. When water is lost through transpiration, osmotic pressure moves water out of the
vascular tissue of the leaf. The leaf’s gas exchange subsystem involves a series of feedback
mechanisms that help to maintain homeostasis by keeping the water content in the leaf relatively
constant. For example, when water is abundant, it flows into the leaf, raising the water pressure in
the guard cells, which then open the stomata. Excess water is then lost through the open stomata
by transpiration. In this experiment you will observe transpiration in 4 different stalks of celery. Stalk
#1 will have no leaves and exposed to light. Stalk #2 will no leaves and left in the dark. And stalk #3
will have leaves and exposed to light. Stalk #4 will have leaves and left in the dark.

Recall the Scientific Method:

1. Observation
2. Hypothesis
3. Experiment to test your hypothesis
4. Analyze the data from your experiment
5. Reject or accept your hypothesis
6. Repeat or redesign experiment for future research.
Step 1: Observation – Read the paragraph above to answer the questions below.

1. Make observations:
A. Transpiration is the evaporation of water from, circle one:(roots, stems, leaves)

Step 2: Hypothesis -- Remember a hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts a result. Finish the
hypothesis written in #2.

2. I predict that the colored water will rise the most in,
HIGHLIGHT ONE:: (stalk #1, stalk #2, stalk #3, stalk #4).

Step 3: Experiment to test your hypothesis –

Procedure –

1. Obtain three stalks of celery.

2. Place all three stalks into a container containing about 200mL of water and food coloring.

3. Place the container celery with leaves and celery without in the dark, and celery with leaves
and without leaves in a well-lit area over night.
 Name:_______________________________________

Movement of Water in Plants Lab

1. Make observations:
A. Transpiration is the evaporation of water from, circle one:(roots, stems, leaves)
B. Which stalk of celery is the control? HIGHLIGHT ONE: ( stalk #1, stalk #2, stalk #3)

2. I predict that the colored water will rise the most in, HIGHLIGHT ONE:: (stalk #1, stalk #2, stalk #3).

3. Fill in the chart based on the experiment.

Stalk Observations

#1 no leaves, light

# 2 no leaves, dark

#3 leaves, light

#4 leaves, dark

Step 4: Analyze the data from your experiment -- Use the chart above to analyze your data.

4. Based on the experiment, the water rose the most in stalk # _______.

Step 5: Reject or accept your hypothesis

Based on your data analysis, do you reject or accept your hypothesis?

5. Do you accept or reject your hypothesis:____________________________.

Step 6: Repeat or redesign experiment for future research .

6. If you repeated this experiment, what would you change? _____________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Critical Thinking: - Reread the first paragraph to help you answer these questions.

7. The leaf’s gas exchange subsystem involves a series of feedback mechanisms which helps
the plant maintain ____________________________.
8. Raising the water pressure in the __________ _________ opens the ___________.
9. Excess __________ is lost through the __________ by ____________________.
10. What effect did the dark and light have on transpiration?
___________________________________________________________________________________
 The Movement of Water in Plants Worksheet

1. Fill in this table to show the properties of xylem and phloem cells. Some answers
have been done for you.
xylem phloem

materials
transported

materials
transported from

materials
transported to shoots and leaves

materials travel in
one or both
directions?

2. Describe two ways the structure of a leaf is adapted to prevent excessive water loss
from the plant.

3. What are stomata and what is their function in a plant leaf?

Fill in the gaps in the following sentences using the words in the box.

high osmosis humidity low decreasing increasing carbon dioxide

4. Plants lose water when they open the stomata in their leaves to let in ………………….
5. Water always moves from an area of ……………….. concentration to an area of
………………… concentration.
6. This movement of water is called ………………….
7. ………………. the light intensity will increase the rate of transpiration.
8. Decreasing the ……………….. will increase the rate of transpiration.
9. ………………… the air movement and temperature will decrease the rate of transpiration.