TRANSPORT IN FLOWERING PLANTS
Plants need a transport system for the following reasons:
To carry water and mineral salts from the roots to other parts
of the plant
To transport manufactured foods from the leaves to other
parts of the plant
To transport hormones from sites of synthesis to sites of usage
The transport system in flowering plants is called the vascular
system. This consists of xylem and phloem which are closely
associated with a meristematic tissue called cambium. Xylem
conducts water and mineral salts from the roots to other parts of the
plant and supports the plant mechanically. Phloem transports
manufactured foods from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
Cambium carries out cell division to produce new cells, including
xylem and phloem cells.
Arrangement of Vascular Tissues in Dicots and Monocots
(a) Cross-section of a Dicot Root
Xylem is located in the centre and is star-shaped
Phloem is located between the ‘arms’ of the xylem
(b) Cross-section of a Monocot Root
(c) Cross-section of a Dicot Stem
(d) Cross-section of a Monocot Stem
FUNCTIONS OF THE PARTS
1. Epidermis –thin outermost layer of skin cells. Used for
protection of inter tissues, prevention of entry of harmful
organisms, reduction in surface transpiration due to the
prsence of the cuticle, exchange of gases through the
stomata and protection aganist sudden change in
temperature.
2. Endodermis- forms the inner layer of the cortex. It is also
called starch sheath as it contains a large number of
abudant starch grains. Casparian strips are present.
3. Pith- it is a tissue in the stems of vascular plants. P ith is
composed of soft, spongy parenchyma cells. It is also a
large central area for storage, transport of nutients
throughout the plant and support.
4. Cortex- lies next to the epidermis and consists of multiple
layers of cells. The main function of the cortex is to store
food nutrients.
5. Cambium- This is a lateral meristem in the vascular tissue
of plants. it is a cylinder unspecialised meristem cells that
divide to give rise to cells that further divide, differentiate
and specialise to form the secondary vascular tissues or it is
responsible for secondary growth. It produces new phloem
towards the outside of the plant and new xylem towards
the inside of the plant
Uptake/Absorption of Water and Mineral Salts
Water and mineral salts are absorbed by root hairs which are found
near the tips of roots. Root hairs are elongated outgrowths of
epidermal cells of the roots. A root hair cell absorbs water by
osmosis and mineral salts by active transport and is adapted for
absorption in the following ways:
Has an elongated outgrowth which increases the surface area
for faster diffusion during absorption.
Absence of chloroplast to create more room for absorption.
High concentration of mitochondria to provide energy for
active absorption/transport of mineral salts. In addition, root
hair cells are numerous which further increase their surface
area.
Structure of a Root Hair Cell
Movement of Water from the root hairs to the xylem
After being absorbed, water moves from the root hair cell to the
xylem using three possible routes namely apoplast (from cell wall to
cell wall), symplast (from cytoplasm to cytoplasm) and vacuolar
route (from vacuole to vacuole). The movement of water from cell to
cell is due to osmosis and transpiration pull.
Movement of water up the Plant
Water moves up the plant through xylem vessels in a continuous
stream known as the transpiration stream. The forces responsible for
movement of water in the transpiration stream are transpiration,
capillarity, root pressure and guttation.
Transpiration (the diffusion of water vapour from plant leaves to the
atmosphere through stomata). This creates a suction force that pulls
water up the xylem vessels.
Capillarity: This is the movement of water into narrow tubes or
openings as a result of cohesion (attractive forces between
molecules of the same kind) and adhesion (attractive forces between
molecules of different substances).
Root Pressure: This is the pressure created in xylem vessels due to
osmotic gain of water by the roots. This pushes water up the xylem
vessels.
Guttation: the loss of water drops from the tips and margins of
leaves through openings called hydathodes. This creates a suction
force that pulls water up the xylem vessels.
The following diagram summarises the transpiration stream.
