Science-Interactive - Co.uk - Water Transport in Plants

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Unit 1: The Digestive System
Unit 20: Crude Oil and its Products
Unit 2: The Circulatory System
Unit 21: Rock Cycle
Unit 3: Healthy Body and Immunity
Unit 22: Elements, Molecules and Compounds
Unit 4: The Respiratory System
Unit 23: Ionic and Covalent Compounds
Unit 5: Nervous System and the Senses
Unit 24: The Halogens, their Uses and Compounds
Unit 6: Human Homeostasis
Unit 25: The Noble Gases, their Properties and Uses
Unit 7: Hormones and the Endocrine System
Unit 26: Rates of Reaction
Unit 8: Drugs and Bad Body Maintenance
Unit 27: Energy
Unit 9: Photosynthesis in Green Plants
Unit 28: Generating Electricity and its Domestic Use
Unit 10: Water Transport in Plants
Unit 29: Electricity
Unit 11: Flow of Energy and Elements through the Environment
Unit 30: Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Unit 12: Mitosis and Meiosis
Unit 31: Radioactivity
Unit 13: Inheritance and Selection
Unit 32: Newton's Forces and the Effects of Forces
Unit 14: Evolution and Human Impact
Unit 33: Earth and Space
Unit 15: Genetic Engineering
Unit 34: The Earth and Plate Tectonics
Unit 16: The Periodic Table and its Elements
Unit 35: The Alkaline Earth Metals
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Unit 37: Natural Forces
Unit 19: The Transitional Metals
Unit 38: Cells, Tissue, Organs and Organs systems
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Unit 10
Water Transport in Plants
Unit 10: Water Transport in Plants
Understand:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
That plants, like other organisms require a

transport
system
providing
water
for
photosynthesis.
The role of the root hair cell in absorbing water
and minerals from the soil.
That water passes from the soil to the root hair
cell by osmosis.
That the flow of water through the plant is
called transpiration.
The factors that affect the rate of water
movement or transpiration in a plant.
The role of active transport in acquiring soluble
essential minerals.
The role of fertilisers in improving crop yields.
The role of hydroponics in crop production.
That controlling greenhouse conditions like
temperature and light levels affects crop yields.
Some of the benefits and drawbacks of
intensive farming.
Keywords:
Water, Transport, Osmosis, Transpiration,
Root hair cell, Xylem, Phloem, Active
transport, Minerals, Nitrates, Phosphates,
Potassium, Stoma, Guard cells, Light,
Humidity, Temperature, Fertilisers, Manure,
Crops, Yield, Organic, Farming, Hydroponics,
Greenhouse & Production.
Click mouse to begin

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Plants as producers
Plants are called producers because they produce all the Worlds biomass via a process called
photosynthesis. Plants use energy from the s_____ to combine carbon dioxide and w________
to form g__________ and oxygen. This reaction produces millions of tonnes of living matter,
that nourishes all other living organisms in the animal kingdom. The oxygen that plants release
into the atmosphere is used in cellular r_____________ by all living organisms. How can we
determine the biomass of a plant ?
Plants as producers:
Word bank: sun water glucose respiration
Plant yield
Photosynthesis in action
Plant yield: (kg per hectare)
Diagram
6H2O
C6H12O6
Chloroplast
Energy
Glucose
6CO2
6O2
14000
Plant cells
Notes
Green chlorophyll contained in

palisade chloroplasts are able to
use light energy to enable carbon
dioxide and water to combine to
form glucose and oxygen.
10000
6000
2000
<1000
Plants only use a small fraction of the sunlight energy, they

receive every year. Despite this, sugarcane produces up to
200 tonnes of glucose per year per hectare. The most
productive areas are the equatorial regions that receive the
most sunlight energy.
Photosynthesis and its equation one
From the equation for photosynthesis we can determine the raw materials required during
photosynthesis. Sugar production in green leaves will only occur if w_______ and carbon
dioxide are supplied to the chloroplasts inside leaf palisade cells.
6CO2
Carbon dioxide
6H20
C6H12O6
water
light and chlorophyll
Glucose
6O2
Oxygen
Raw materials and photosynthetic products:

Carbon dioxide
Water
Word bank: light
Glucose
Oxygen
Diagram
6 molecules of CO2
Notes
Carbon dioxide is
taken in during day
light hours through the
leaf stomata cells from
the atmosphere.
6 molecules of H2O
Water is taken from

the soil by the root hair
cells, through the
xylem and into the leaf
space.
1 molecule of glucose
Glucose is produced
during photosynthesis
and transported by the
phloem to all parts of
the plant.
6 molecules of O2
Oxygen is taken out

through the leaf during
daylight hours and
released
into
the
atmosphere.
Photosynthesis and its equation two
Reactions that take in energy from their surroundings in the form of heat or light are
called endothermic reactions. Although these types of reactions are not as common as
exothermic reactions, there are several examples. An important example of an
endothermic reaction is photosynthesis, whereby light e_________ is used to combine
water and carbon dioxide to form glucose and oxygen.
Photosynthesis reaction:
Word bank: energy
Energy changes during photosynthesis
Key
6O2
C6H12O6
6H2O 6CO2
Products
Potential energy
Activation energy
Substrates
Progress of reaction
Net energy taken

in during reaction
C6H12O6
H2O
O2
CO2
In this reaction H2O

and CO2 substrates
are combined in the
plant leaf cells using
light
energy
to
produce
glucose
(C6H12O6) and O2.
Overview of transporting water
Several specialised c______ and tissues are involved in the transport of water and soluble
minerals like potassium and nitrates from the s______ to the leaf palisade cells. From the
root hair cells to the xylem, found in the stem and leaf, water moves through the plant in a
continuous transpiration stream. During photosynthesis, six molecules of this water are
combined with six molecules of c_________ d___________ to form one molecule of
glucose and six molecules of oxygen. Energy from s__________ drives this reaction. How
is water absorbed by the root hair cells form the soil ?
Cells and tissues transporting water:
Word bank: cells soil carbon dioxide sunlight
Root hair cell
Stem
Leaf
Stomata
Millions of root hair

cells with a huge surface
area line the surface of
plant roots. They take in
water from the soil into
the plant xylem.
The water moves up the

stem through the xylem
vessels
by
capillary
action. They are long
tubes reaching from the
roots to the leaf tissue.
Xylem tubes from the

leaf veins spreading out
to supply the palisade
cells and tissue with
water during photosynthesis.
Stomata cells on the

underside of the leaf
allow water vapour and
oxygen out of the leaf
during the daylight
hours.
Diagram
Notes
Water into the root
The root system, as well as anchoring the plant, takes water and m__________ salts from the
soil. The roots are covered by root h_____ cells. These highly specialised cells have a thin
membrane and large surface area. Water passes from the soil to the hair cells and then through
root cells and finally to the xylem tissue by a process called osmosis.
Passage of water through the root:
Word bank: mineral hair
The pathway of water across the root into the xylem

Diagram
Soil
Cell A
Root hair cell

Water
Notes
Cell B
Cell C
Root cortex cells
Xylem vessel
There is a higher concentration of water in the soil compared to the root hair cell. By osmosis, water
passes from the soil to the hair cell. Now there is a higher water concentration of water in the root
hair cell compared to cell A. Water moves from the root hair cell to cell A. This also happens from
cell A to cell B. This continues across the whole root, where water eventually reaches the xylem.
Explaining osmosis
Osmosis is the passage or movement of water from an area of high concentration to an area of
low concentration through a living semi permeable membrane. The water is in fact diffusing
from a weak solution into a stronger solution of a solute like sugar or salt. Tiny holes in the
plant membrane allow water m___________ to pass through, whereas some solute molecules
are too large to pass through the membrane. This process also occurs in human cells and
requires no energy at all, unlike active transport.
Explaining osmosis:
Plant cells
Word bank: molecules
Before
Outside cell
Diagram
After (Complete)
Inside cell
Outside cell
Inside cell
Dissolved
salts
Water
Semi
permeable
membrane
Notes
Water molecules are able

to move from one cell to
the next by a process
called osmosis. This is
shown by the red arrows.
Outside the cell membrane

there is a high concentration of
water compared to the inside.
Water then begins to move
inwards by osmosis.
Water movement by osmosis

equals out the amount of water
on both sides of the membrane.
Large molecules are unable to
cross the membrane.
Effects of osmosis on plant and animal cells
Plant and animal cells both lose water, when placed in hypertonic solutions and gain water
when placed in hypotonic solutions, however the effects on animal and plant cells are
different. Animal cells have no cell w____ and vacuole, so they shrivel when losing
w______ to a concentrated hypertonic solution and burst and die in a hypotonic solution.
Plant cells have a cell wall and vacuole, which both help to control the effects of gaining
or losing water inside the cell. What tough molecule is found in the plant cell wall ?
Water movement in plant and animal cells:
Word bank: wall water
Animal cells
Plant cells
Animals cells are very sensitive to water

movement across their membranes. In
hypertonic solutions, water moves out of the
cell, causing the cell to shrivel. In hypotonic
solutions water moves into the cell, causing
the membrane to rip open.
Plant cells are much more robust to the

movement of water. This is because of the
strong cell wall and the vacuole. The vacuole
shrinks or expands, helping to control the
plant cell shape. The cell wall adds strength
to the cell.
Diagram
Notes
Water moving through the xylem
Once water has entered the xylem from the soil, through the root hair cell and other root cells
by a process called osmosis, water moves through the xylem by capillary action. This requires
no e________ and relies on cohesion or the stickiness that exists between water molecules.
Xylem vessels can be up to 100 metres in length in some plants, especially trees.
Water transpiration:
Key
Word bank: energy
Diagram showing movement of water through a plant

Leaf
Waxy cuticle
Epidermis
Water
Palisade cells
Soil
Evaporation
Air spaces
Root hair cell
Cohesion
Stoma
Osmosis
Xylem
Vessel
Notes
Water vapour
The water is pulled up the xylem in the stem from the root system. Water is then used by
the palisade cells during photosynthesis. Water also evaporates from the leaf. As water
is lost from the leaf, it causes a continuous flow from the roots through the xylem to the
leaf. This is called transpiration or the transpiration stream.
Stomata one
These specialised cells are found on the underside of the leaf and allow gases to diffuse in and
out.
1:
Carbon dioxide diffuses in for photosynthesis.
2:
Oxygen produced during photosynthesis diffuses out.
3:
Water vapour diffuses out.
Stomata in detail:
Transpiration through plants
Stomata
Stomata up close
During photosynthesis plants need a constant

supply of water from the soil. The water exuded
from the surface of this green leaf is actually from
water vapour released from the leaf stomata. Only
on the underside of green leaves, will you find
hundreds of stomata cells, although you need a
powerful light microscope to see them.
Stomata cells open mainly during the day to allow the

passage of gases and water vapour. They can respond
to drier conditions by closing to reduce water loss.
Stomata are opened and closed by the guard cells
changing shape. These guard cells contain
chloroplasts providing the energy for opening and
closing.
Diagram
Notes
Stomata two
During the night, no photosynthesis takes place, just plant respiration. At dusk and dawn when
the light intensity is low, the rate of respiration and photosynthesis are roughly the same.
During the d____, when there is greatest light energy, there is a net production of glucose and
oxygen. The stomata cells, found on the underside of the leaf o_____ during daylight hours
when photosynthesis occurs and partially close during the night. Stomata are opened and closed
by the guard cells changing shape. These guard cells contain chloroplasts, which provide the
energy for stomata opening and closing
Effect of light intensity on stomata opening and closing:
Diagram
Oxygen
MicrobeGlucose
Body
temp CO2 Use
Night
Dusk
Daylight
Night
norm al
37oC
0
12am
Notes
Dawn
Word bank: day open
Closed
48 am
hrs
6 time days
8
12pm
Open
10
12
8pm 14
12am
Closed
Factors affecting transpiration
Transpiration, the flow of water through a plant is affected by several factors. More
transpiration takes place during the day whilst photosynthesis occurs. During the night the
stomata cells are c________. In very dry conditions where the soil is dry, the stomata
close to reduce water loss, thereby preventing the plant from wilting. Losing too much
water through transpiration will reduce plant cell turgidity, allowing the plants to become
flaccid. If the plants are allowed to lose too much water, they can die.
Factors affecting transpiration rates:
Word bank: closed
Light
Temperature
Humidity
Air movement
Increasers
in
light
intensity increases the
rate of photosynthesis
and the need for water.
Stomata open during
day light hours.
Increases in temperature
increase the rate of water
evaporation from the
leaves surface as well
the rate of photosynthesis
in green plants.
An increase in air
humidity will reduce the
rate of transpiration.
Humid
air
already
contains a very high
percentage of water.
Air movement over the

plant leaves increases
the rate of evaporation
therefore increasing the
rate of transpiration of
water through plants.
Diagram
Notes
Measuring the rate of transpiration

The rate of transpiration can be measured by using a potometer. A potometer measures the
rate of w______ uptake by a plant using a plant cutting with a stem and several. Potometers
can also be linked to a computer to give you second by second reading on water loss.
Measuring transpiration in plants:
Word bank: water
Data logger potometer
Simple plant potometer

Potometer
Humidity
100
500
1000 1500
Light intensity (lux)
Air movement
10
14
18
temperature ( C)
22
Rate of transpiration
Temperature
Graph
Light
Conditions
25
50
75
Humidity (%)
100
12
wind speed (km/h)
Crop growth and development
Good crop growth and development in wheat, rice, soya and corn are important so that we can
avoid hunger and starvation. Many billions of people depend on just four or five c______ for
their primary f______ source. Farmers have developed their knowledge of crop growth, so that
they know good soil from poor, the right amount of temperature and light and other factors that
affect yield like using the right pesticides and herbicides. Name four other crops that are
commercially important for the human food chain ?
Factors affecting crop yields:
Word bank: crop food
Crop growth and development in corn from seed to mature plant

Diagram
Notes
Growing from seed to mature plant requires the right amount of light, soil nutrients, warmth, water and
carbon dioxide. Farmers carefully control all these conditions to maximise their profits.
Plant nutrients
All plants require several n__________ obtained from the soil for healthy growth. These
soluble nutrients like potassium and nitrates are taken up by the root by active transport. Unlike
water uptake, this requires energy. Soil, with a low concentration of these nutrients is usually
treated by adding f____________ early on in the growth season. Essential nutrients include:
Phosphates (P)
Nitrogen in NO3- (N)
Potassium (K)
Effect of mineral deficiencies on plant growth:
Word bank: nutrients fertiliser
Normal growth
Phosphates (P)
Nitrogen (N)
Potassium (K)
Normal healthy growth:

Corn is an important
source of carbohydrates
in the human diet.
Lack of Phosphates:
Poor growth rates, poor
root growth and purple
younger leaves.
Lack of Nitrogen:
Stunted growth, low
protein content and
yellow older leaves.
Lack of Potassium:
Poor
growth
rates,
yellow leaves with dead
spots.
Diagram
Notes
Crop yield one
Good crop yields are important for everyone to avoid hunger and starvation. Farmers add
fertilisers at the beginning of every growing s________ to replace lost minerals from the soil.
These minerals are lost because of the intensive way farmers use land in Europe and the USA.
Improving crop yields with fertilisers, p___________ and other factors cost farmers money.
Farmers have to work out how best to improve crop yield, whilst still making a profit when they
sell their products. Describe the differences for how organic and non-organic farmers improve
their crop yields ?

Crop yield in corn
Word bank: seasons pesticides
Temperature & light
Water
Fertiliser
Increases in temperature
and light increases crop
yield. Most crops are
grown in the summer
when temperatures and
light levels are high.
Plants need sufficient

water for healthy growth
and development. Low
rain fall can lead to poor
crop yields or even total
failure.
Intensive crop farming

reduces the quality of the
soil, stripping all the
plant minerals. Farmers
add fertilisers at the start
of every growing season.
Diagram
Notes
Crop yield two temperature & light
Increases in temperature and light increases crop yield. Most crops are grown in the summer
when temperature and l______ levels are high. In fact in Northern Europe, no crops are grown
during the winter, because average temperatures dip below 6oC. This is the point where
photosynthesis stops happening. Very high temperatures (40oC) will rapidly dehydrate the crop,
if there is insufficient w______ in the soil. This will reduce overall yield in crops like corn,
wheat and rice. Other than water, what is the other substrate essential for photosynthesis in
green plants ?
Temperature affecting crop yields:
Crop yield in tomatoes
15oC
Word bank: light water
20oC
30oC
35oC
Crop yield three water
Plants need sufficient water for healthy growth and development. Low rain fall can lead to poor
crop yields or even total failure. Water irrigation is essential to grow crops in the drier areas of
Europe, where summer rainfall is low. In very dry areas like Northern Africa and the Middle
East, crops are only grown near to rivers. Adjacent to the great river Nile in Egypt is where
90% of all crops are grown. In England, we rely on summer r________ rather than irrigation
systems. Explain why salt water cannot be used to support crop growth ?
Water affecting crop yields:

Very Low rainfall
Word bank: rainfall
Low rainfall
Medium rainfall
Correct rainfall
Crop yield four fertiliser
Intensive crop farming reduces the quality of the s_____, stripping all the essential plant
minerals. Farmers add fertilisers or manure at the start of every growing season. In areas with
very little or no mineral rich top soil, crop yield are very low. Some soils are so poor that they
do not support crop growth at all. Soil is also lost every year due to rain and wind e________.
Farmers have to be very careful to preserve their soil for the next years crop. Reducing soil
erosion, by mixing crops, using border hedgers, all reduces the loss of top soil. How does
deforestation increase the loss of top soil ?
Fertiliser affecting crop yields:
Poor soil
Word bank: soil erosion
Rich soil
Manure and soil
Fertiliser and soil
Crop yield five greenhouses
Fruit and vegetables grown intensively in greenhouses have all their environmental conditions
very carefully controlled by farmers. The amount of light, h_____, nutrients, water and even
carbon dioxide can be carefully controlled. Supplying additional lighting, heat or fertilisers all
costs money and can affect the p_______ a farmer makes when they sell their crops. Look at
the five scenarios and work out the profitability of the crop when costs have been deducted.
Explain why spending huge amounts of money does not always increase the yield and profit of
the farmers crop ?
Greenhouse crops
Word bank: heat profit
Factors
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
Scenario 3
Scenario 4
Scenario 5
Heating costs
0.00
50.00
75.00
50.00
100.00
Light costs
0.00
25.00
50.00
50.00
25.00
Fertiliser costs
0.00
50.00
75.00
50.00
50.00
CO2 costs
0.00
10.00
25.00
10.00
10.00
Total cost
0.00
______?
______?
______?
______?
Crop sells for
50.00
250.00
300.00
225.00
275.00
Profit
50.00
______?
______?
______?
______?
50.00
250.00
225.00
275.00
300.00
Plant fertilisers
Intensive farming reduces the quality of the soil, stripping all the essential plant minerals
like n__________, phosphates and potassium. Farmers add fertilisers at the beginning of
every growing season to replace lost minerals. Crop yield increases with the increasing
amount of fertilisers added to the soil. Organic farmers only use natural sources of
fertilisers like animal dung or manure. Why is the accumulation of nitrogen in rivers,
ponds and lakes bad for the environment ?
Using fertilisers:
Word bank: nitrates
NPK fertilisers
Rendered fertiliser
Natural fertiliser
NPK fertilisers contain:

Nitrogen (N) for growth of leaves
and stem.
Rendered fertiliser is made by

processing animal carcasses and
bones and subjecting them to
very high temperatures. This
reclaimed bone and animal waste
is heated and ground in some
cases and then sold to farmers to
spread on their fields.
Natural fertilisers used by

organic farmers, consists of
animal waste and composted
vegetable matter. This mineral
rich humus adds the necessary
minerals like nitrogen and
potassium and also improves the
soils quality.
Diagram
Notes
Phosphorus (P) for healthy roots.

Potassium (K) for health leaves.
The nitrogen cycle
All living organisms require the element n_________ to make proteins. Although air contains
almost 80% nitrogen gas, plants and animals cannot use it in this form. Nitrogen (N2) has to be
changed to nitrates (NO3-) before plants can absorb and use nitrogen to build proteins. Animals
acquire their nitrogen from plants or animals that feed on plants. The nitrogen cycle shows how
nitrogen gas is changed into nitrates.
The nitrogen cycle:
Atmosphere
Word bank: nitrogen
Lightning
N2 Atmosphere
The atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen gas.
Animal waste
Animal biomass
Plant biomass
Legumes
Fertilisers
Soil
Denitrifying
bacteria in soil
(NH3)
Plant and
animal remains
(NH3)
Nitrates (NO3-)
in the soil.
Nitrogen fixing Nitrates from

bacteria in root fertilisers &
lightning
nodules
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is increasingly being used by farmers to improve the yield and quality of
crops. Using hydroponics means growing plants or crops without s____. The majority of
tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers that you can buy in the supermarkets are grown
this way. There are two techniques used in hydroponics:
1: Peat culture
2: Nutrient film
Hydroponics:
Word bank: soil
Peat culture
Nutrient film
Example
Peat culture is used to grow crops

like tomatoes. Peat taken from
peat bogs is treated before it is
used. It is neutralised using
alkaline and enhanced by adding
nutrients like nitrates, phosphates
and potassium (NPK.)
Plants are grown in sterile sand

or a synthetic wool-like material.
The roots of the plants are bathed
in a solution containing oxygen,
plant nutrients and water. At
anytime the level of nutrients can
be altered.
Tomatoes,
sweet
peppers
cucumbers and bedding plants,
are all raised using the nutrient
film technique. The quality and
yield is always tightly controlled
by the grower. This allows the
growers maximum prices.
Diagram
Notes
Greenhouse production
Farmers and commercial growers use greenhouses to improve the yield of their c_____
and control when and where crops are grown. Using a greenhouse allows farmers to
control all the growing conditions, so that crops can grow at any time of the year or in
areas where they would not normally grow. Although it is more e_________ than just
using a field, the additional income from crops that reach supermarket shelves early on in
the season, or crops that are not normally native to this country outweigh those extra costs.
Glasshouse production:
Word bank: crop expensive
Light
Carbon dioxide
Temperature
Water
Artificial lighting is
used to increase the rate
of photosynthesis and
therefore growth. Plants
can photosynthesize 24
hrs a day inside a
commercial greenhouse.
Pumping carbon dioxide

gas into a greenhouse
can also increase the
rate of photosynthesis.
Normally gas burners
are used to produce
carbon dioxide gas.
During
the
winter
months, gas burners,
whilst supplying carbon
dioxide gas also raise the
temperature inside the
greenhouse, increasing
the photosynthetic rate.
Most greenhouse have

computer
controlled
watering systems so that
the soil remains moist to
support plant turgidity
and
photosynthesis
during growth.
Diagram
Notes
Costs and benefits of intensive farming one
Within the twenty five countries of the European Union, farmers grow excess crops, when
compared to what we need. The dramatic increase in crop y______ over the last half
century is due largely to intensive farming techniques. These techniques include the
widespread use of f__________, insecticides, pesticides, greenhouses and hydroponics.
Furthermore, using and selecting the best performing fruit and vegetable varieties
produced by selective breeding has also led to a dramatic increase in the crop yield.
Benefits of intensive farming:
Word bank: yields fertiliser
Yield
Quality
Range of products
Timings
Crop yields per hectare

have increased over the
last 50 years. This
means that we now
destroy excess fruit,
vegetable and animal
products in Europe.
The quality of foods has

never
been
better,
because of modern crop
varieties,
technology
and the widespread use
of fertilisers, pesticides
and insecticides.
The range of products in

shops has changed in
two ways. (i) Now you
can buy fruit and
vegetables out of season
(ii) and from other parts
of the World.
Fruit and vegetables

arrive fresh and ready to
eat in our supermarkets
on a daily basis. You can
now buy from all over
the World at any time of
the year.
Diagram
Notes
Costs and benefits of intensive farming two
Farmers and the European Common Agricultural Policy makes sure that we all have food on our
table, however each family in Europe subsidies farmers to grow crops and raise animals. This costs
us on average up to 1000 per year per family. We have also destroyed n________ habitats to raise
livestock like cattle and grow crops like wheat. Also, the widespread use of insecticides and
pesticides poisons many food chains affecting many native s_________. Furthermore, mechanisation
and the use of crude oil adds to the amount of greenhouse gases and global warming. All this so we
can eat fruit from far away places at anytime of the year. Why should we only eat local produce grow
in season ?
Costs of intensive farming:
Word bank: natural species
Biodiversity
Fossil fuels
Fertilisers
Cost
Using only a small

number of fruit and
vegetable varieties as
well as clearing forests
and woodland for
farming reduces global
biodiversity.
Heating
greenhouses,
supplying CO2 gas and
using tractors increases
the use of fossil fuels
like oil. This causes an
increase in atmospheric
carbon and acid rain.
Excessive
use
of
fertilisers that enter the
water cycle can cause
widespread damage in
lakes, rivers and ponds
close to agricultural
land.
The cost of the European

Common
Agricultural
Policy (CAP) is a
staggering 1000 per year
for each family. Some of
the food produced is
never sold.
Diagram
Notes
Extension questions and homework

1:
Define the following terms: Water-transport, Osmosis, Transpiration, Xylem, Phloem, Active-transport, Minerals,
Organic-farming, Hydroponics & Greenhouse-production.
2:
Look at the picture of three types of plant tissue. Complete the table.
Stomata
Xylem
Part
Function
Leaf
Role in transpiration
Stomata
Xylem
Leaf
3:
a) What does a potometer measure in plants.

b) What do xylem tissues transport to the leaf.
b) What do phloem tissues transport around the plant.
c) How is a root hair cell adapted to take in water from the soil.
d) What is the name given to the loss of water from the leaves.
e) What is the name given to water movement through the root cells to the xylem.
f) What is the name given to water movement through the xylem tissue.
4:
Look at the information in the table below. It shows the diameter of the stomata cells over a 24 hr period:
Time (hr)
00.00
06.00
08.00
10.00
12.00
14.00
16.00
18.00
20.00
22.00
Diameter (cm)
0.01
0.1
0.15
0.25
0.40
0.40
0.25
0.20
0.10
0.01
a) Explain why the diameter changes over this 24 hr period.

b) At midday the light intensity is strongest. How do the stomata cells react to this.
c) At dawn and dusk, is the rate of respiration and photosynthesis the same.
5:
a) Other than water and carbon dioxide, plants also need minerals (e.g. phosphates, nitrates and potassium) what are
these minerals used for and how do the plants obtain them.
b) Show how a specialised root hair cell takes in minerals like nitrates from the soil.
c) Do the minerals given in part (a) give any energy value to the plant.
d) Compare those minerals that plants require for healthy growth to the minerals and vitamins we require in our
own diet.
e) Somebody observed that wheat grows taller and gives a higher yield when the field is closer to a coal burning
power station. Suggest a reason for this.
f) Explain why grass doesnt need cutting during the winter months when the average daily temperature is below
6oC.
6:
Complete the following:

Plants produce ____________ and oxygen during photosynthesis. This all takes place in the chloroplast found in the
_______________ cells. The active chemical in the chloroplast is called _____________. It is able to use light
energy to form new chemical bonds between water and carbon dioxide.
7:
a) Plants and crops need mineral salts for healthy growth. Give the name of three of these mineral salts.
b) A farmer wants to increase his crop yield by using fertilisers. The able below shows how mass of crop produced
from a field depends on the quantity of nitrogen used.
Amount of nitrogen (kg)
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Crop yield (tonnes/hectare)
7.5
12
14
15.5
16
15
13
(i) What is the maximum mass of crop that could be produced using nitrogen fertilisers.
(ii) Explain why using 700kg/hectare of fertilisers actually decreases crop yield compared to your answer in part (i).
(iii) Large amounts of fertilisers dissolve in water. When it rains fertilisers can accumulate in rivers and ponds.
Explain why this is a problem.
(iv) Some consumers prefer organically grown crops. State two advantages and disadvantages of eating organically
grown crops.
8:
a) Explain the difference between peat culture and nutrient film hydroponics.
b) What are the benefits of intensive farming to the (i) farmer and (ii) consumer.
c) What are the disadvantages of intensive farming to (i) the consumer (ii) biodiversity (iii) the environment.
9:
Complete the following:

Water passes into the root hair cell by ___________. Mineral salts like _____________ potassium and phosphate
are taken up by active transport. A root hair cell has a ____________ surface area to help water and mineral salt
uptake. Water is then transported through the ___________ tubes by capillary action to the leaf tissue. Palisade
cells require water during photosynthesis to manufacture glucose. Water is lost through the leaves thorough the
_____________. They are opened during the day and close at night when no p______________ takes place.
Internet:
Go to google.co.uk and find about problems caused by overuse of nitrogen fertiliser. Also find out about the benefits
of organically grown fruit and vegetables.

Science-Interactive - Co.uk - Water Transport in Plants

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Unit 1: The Digestive System

Unit 20: Crude Oil and its Products

Unit 2: The Circulatory System

Unit 21: Rock Cycle

Unit 3: Healthy Body and Immunity

Unit 22: Elements, Molecules and Compounds

Unit 4: The Respiratory System

Unit 23: Ionic and Covalent Compounds

Unit 5: Nervous System and the Senses

Unit 24: The Halogens, their Uses and Compounds

Unit 6: Human Homeostasis

Unit 25: The Noble Gases, their Properties and Uses

Unit 7: Hormones and the Endocrine System

Unit 26: Rates of Reaction

Unit 8: Drugs and Bad Body Maintenance

Unit 27: Energy

Unit 9: Photosynthesis in Green Plants

Unit 28: Generating Electricity and its Domestic Use

Unit 10: Water Transport in Plants

Unit 29: Electricity

Unit 11: Flow of Energy and Elements through the Environment

Unit 30: Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Unit 12: Mitosis and Meiosis

Unit 31: Radioactivity

Unit 13: Inheritance and Selection

Unit 32: Newton's Forces and the Effects of Forces

Unit 14: Evolution and Human Impact

Unit 33: Earth and Space

Unit 15: Genetic Engineering

Unit 34: The Earth and Plate Tectonics

Unit 16: The Periodic Table and its Elements

Unit 35: The Alkaline Earth Metals

Unit 17: The Alkali Metals

Unit 36: Sound and Hearing

Unit 18: Metals and their Properties

Unit 37: Natural Forces

Unit 19: The Transitional Metals

Unit 38: Cells, Tissue, Organs and Organs systems

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Unit 10: Water Transport in Plants

That plants, like other organisms require a

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Click mouse to begin

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Word bank: sun water glucose respiration

Plant yield: (kg per hectare)

Green chlorophyll contained in

Plants only use a small fraction of the sunlight energy, they

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Photosynthesis and its equation one

light and chlorophyll

Raw materials and photosynthetic products:

Word bank: light

Water is taken from

Oxygen is taken out

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Photosynthesis and its equation two

Word bank: energy

Energy changes during photosynthesis

Net energy taken

In this reaction H2O