Chapter 06-

Plant Water
Relation
(5/7 marks)

Mrs. Vinita. M. Prabhu

Water potential
•The potential energy of water is known as water
potential.
•The water potential is represented by Greek letter ‘Ψ’
(psi).
•At normal temperature and pressure, the water
potential of pure water is zero.
•When solutes are added, the value of water potential
decreases. Owing to this the water potential in a
solution or in a plant cell has negative value.
•The direction of cell to cell movement of water
depends upon the difference in water potential.
•The movement (flow) of water occurs from a less
negative water potential to a more negative water
potential.
•Some solutes, when dissolved in pure water reduce the
water potential. The magnitude of lowering of the water
potential due to dissolution of solute is called solute
potential (Ψs).
•Solute potential is always negative.
Permeability
•The ability of a membrane to allow the passage of
substances through it is called permeability.
•There are four types of membranes, viz.
semipermeable, impermeable, freely permeable and
differentially permeable, depending upon their nature
permeability.
•The membrane which allows only the solvent to pass
through it but not the solute is called semipermeable eg
parchment paper.
•The membrane which neither allows the solvent nor the
solute to pass through it is called impermeable eg
suberised wallsof cork cells.
•The membrane which allows the passage of certain
solutes but not all along with the solvent is called
differentially permeable eg cell membrane, tonoplast etc
•The membrane that allows the passage of both solutes
and solvent is called freely permeable eg cell wall.
Mechanism of water absorption: There are two
methods of water absorption, viz. active absorption
and passive absorption.
(1) Active absorption: The absorption of water which
involves the expenditure of metabolic energy is
called active absorption of water.
(2) Passive absorption: The absorption of water in
which the living cells of root do not play any role is
called passive absorption of water. In passive
absorption there is no expenditure of metabolic
energy.
Path of water in root tissue during absorption
The movement of water from the soil to the xylem of the
root occurs through the epidermis (epiblema), cortex,
endodermis and pericycle along two different pathways,
viz. apoplast pathway and symplast pathway.
(1) Apoplast pathway:- Apoplast movement of water in
plants occurs exclusively through cell walls and
intercellular spaces.
(2) Symplast pathway:- In symplast movement of water,
the water moves from one cell to other through
cytoplasmic bridges called plasmodesmata.

The plasmodesmata interconnect the cytoplasm of cells

forming cytoplasmic network called symplast. Since the
water moves through symplast, it is called symplast
pathway.
Ascent of sap
•The upward movement of water (sap) from roots to
aerial parts against the gravitational force is called
ascent of sap.
•Ascent of sap in vascular plants occurs through the
xylem elements like tracheids and vessels.
•Many theories have been put forth to explain the
ascent of sap in plants
•Cohesion- tension theory is the only theory which
explains the ascent of sap in plants in the most
satisfactory way.
Objections/ limitations of root pressure theory:
Although, ascent of sap takes place due to root
pressure, there are certain objections raised, such as -
i. It is not applicable to plants taller than 20 meters.
ii. Ascent of sap can also occur even in the absence of
root system.
iii. Root pressure value is almost nearly zero in taller
gymnosperm trees.
iv. In actively transpiring plants, no root pressure is
developed.
v. Xylem sap under normal condition is under tension i.e.
it shows negative hydrostatic pressure or high osmotic
pressure.
To sum up therefore, root pressure is not the sole
mechanism explaining the ascent of sap in all plants of
varying heights
•Cohesion-tension theory was put forth by Dixon and
Jolly (1894).
•Cohesion-tension theory is based on four principles,
viz.cohesion of water, adhesion of water, continuity of
water column and transpiration pull.
•According to the cohesion tension theory, transpiration
pull augmented with cohesion and adhesion of water is
responsible for ascent of sap
Objections/Limitations of capillarity theory:
Few important objections are:
i. Capillary tube (xylem) must be continously and
completely hollow from one end to the other end but
tracheids in the xylem show closed end-walls.
ii. The lower end of capillary tube i.e. xylem must be in
direct contact with soil water. However, there exists a
barrier of root cortex between xylem and soil water.
iii. Narrower the capillary tube, greater is the height to
which water column is raised. Thus, taller trees should
show xylem vessels with very narrow bore (diameter).
However, in nature the tall trees show xylem vessels
having wider bore.
Hence, to sum up capillarity can not be the sole
mechanism to explain ascent of sap in all the plants of
varying heights.
Guttation:
•The exudation of water in liquid form through intact
plant parts is called guttation.
•Guttation occurs when transpiration is low and
absorption of water is more.
•Guttation takes place through special glands called
hydathodes.
Transpiration pull:
•The transpiration pull developed in the leaf vessel is
transmitted down to root and thus accounts for the
ascent of sap.
•Excess water is lost in the form of vapour, mainly
through the stomata found on leaf.
•This water loss increases D. P. D. of mesophyll cells.
•These cells withdraw water ultimately from xylem in
the leaf. In otherwords, due to continous transpiration,
a gradient of suction pressure (i.e. D. P. D.) is developed
right from guard cells up to the xylem in the leaf.
•This will create a tension (called negative pull or
transpiration pull) in the xylem. Consequently, water
column is pulled out of xylem. Thus, water is pulled
upwards passively against the gravity leading to the
ascent of sap.
Objections/Limitations of transpiration pull theory:
i. For transpiration pull to operate, water column
should be unbroken and continous. However, due to
temperature fluctuations during day and night, gas
bubbles may enter in water column breaking the
continuity.
ii. This mechanism assumes that tracheids are more
efficient than the vessels, as their end walls support
water column.
However, vessels are more evolved than tracheids and
are more efficient.