THE TRANSPORT OF SUBSTANCES IN PLANT

The vascular tissues

The vascular tissues transport substances in

plant. There are two types of vascular tissues

Xylem: transport water and dissolve mineral

salts absorbed by the roots up to the stem and the leaves. Provide mechanical support to woody plants. Phloem: transport organic substances (sucrose) from leaves to the other part of plants.

The stem of dicotyledonous plant.

1) Epidermis layer
1) help maintain the shape of the stem. 2) Have waxy cuticle

2) Cortex layer
1) From collenchyma cells. 2) Provide support and flexibility to the stem.

3) Pith
1) Ass food storage in young plants. 2) May absent in older plants.

4) Vascular bundle (xylem and phloem)

1) Arrange in a ring around the pith.

The root of dicotyledonous plant.

1) Epidermis layer
1) 2) 1)

No waxy cuticle Root hairs (specialised epidermal cells) Parenchyma tissue: store starch and grains

2) Cortex 3) Endodermis 4) Pericycle

1) 1)

Sclerenchyma tissue for mechanical support. Vascular tissues and pericycle

5) Vascular cylinder

Wheat seed
Root hairs
Fragile parts of cells that grow from the main root

They massively increase the surface area for absorption

Root hair cells

(x150)

The leaf of dicotyledonous plant.

1) Leaf blade (lamina)
2) Leaf stalk (petiole)
1) Connect lamina to the stem

2) Contain vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) that

are continuous with those in the stem and root.

3) Leaf veins
1) Contain vascular tissues.

Xylem
4 types of cells
1) Xylem vessels 2) Tracheids

3) Fibres (sclerenchyma)
4) Parenchyma

Xylem vessels and tracheids

water conducting cells
Elongated cells arranged end

to end Walls thickened with lignin, become woody, strong and impermeable. Dead and hollow when mature. Walls perforated by pits, allow water and mineral salts to past sideways between the cells.

Xylem vessels Shorter cell Large diameter

Tracheids Longer cell Small diameter

Pointed end walls and have pits

Open end walls

xylem can only transport substances upward from the roots to the leaves.

Phloem
4 types of cells
1) Sieves tubes 2) companion cells 3) parenchyma 4) Fibres Sieve tubes transport

organic substances like sucrose and amino acids

Sieve tube
cylindrical column of long cells living cells has no nucleus when mature and cytoplasm pushed aside each cells has pores end walls to form sieve plates
Companion cell

Sieve tube cell

companion cell
normal cell with lot of mitochondria provide proteins, ATP and nutrients to the sieve tube cells.
Longitudinal strands of cytoplasm

The transport of organic substances and water in plants

Transpiration is the loss of water vapour

through evaporation from the surface f plants Water is absorbs by plant from soil
1% is used for photosynthesis and keeps the

cell turgid. 99% evaporated from plants surface through transpiration.

The transport of organic substances and water in plants

Transpiration mostly occur through the stomata of the leaves surface. It also occurs through the lenticels of woody stems. Transpiration is important to
Helps in absorption and transport of water and

mineral ions in roots Produce cooling effect in plant Helps to supply water to all plant cells for metabolic process Maintain cell turgidity

Factor that affect the rate of transpiration

a) Light intensity
a) Higher the light intensity, higher the rate or

transpiration b) Light stimulate the opening of stomata, hence more water vapour evaporates through it

b) Temperature of surrounding
a) Higher the temperature, higher the rate of

transpiration

Factor that affect the rate of transpiration

c) Air movement
a) Higher air movement, higher the rate of

transpiration b) A faster air movement helps to remove water vapour that accumulate near the leaf surface c) It increase the concentration gradient between the water vapour inside the leaf and that outside the leaf

d) Humidity
a) Higher the relative humidity, lower the rate of

transpiration.

Movement of water from soil to the leaves Root pressure

Occur due to concentration gradient

of solutes that exist across the cortex that result the pushing force and inflow of water into xylem vessel

Guttation

Movement of water through the roots

 Endodermal cell

Movement of water through the stem

Capillary action
Occur in narrow

vessel (xylem) Due to hydrogen bonding that create cohesive force (water molecules adhere to one another) and adhesive force (water molecule adhere to xylem wall

Capillary action is limited by gravity and the size of the straw. The thinner the straw or tube the higher up capillary action will pull the water

Cohesion causes water to form drops, surface tension causes them to be nearly spherical and adhesion keeps the drops in place

Movement of water from the leaves to the atmosphere

Transpiration pull
Act as the main driving force for water absorption

from soil Water evaporates through stomata in leaves. The loss of water creates the tension or pulling force and draw water from xylem in leaves, stem and eventually the roots of plants.