Absorption by Roots – Summary Notes

 Roots absorb water from the soil through root hair by osmosis and diffusion and then it is
transported by the cortical cell and xylem vessels to different parts of the plant under the
influence of various forces/pressure.
 The soil water contains a variety of inorganic salts dissolved in it such as nitrates, sulphates,
phosphates, chlorides, carbonates, etc. of potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron,
manganese, etc.
 Essential elements – K, Ca, Mg, Fe, C, H, O, N, S and P.
 Trace (essential) – Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo and B.

 Role of Water in the Life of a Plant

 Water constitutes more than 80% of the cell protoplasm, which is essential for the normal
functioning of a cell.
 Water is needed by the plant to carry out various processes, such as photosynthesis,
transpiration, transportation of food, etc.
 Water is a universal solvent. Minerals, organic compounds and many gases are dissolved
in it.
 Water is essential for the production, transport and activity of enzymes.
 Water provides turgidity to the cells, which is necessary for seed radicals to penetrate the
soil.

 Adaptations of the Root for Water Absorption

 Roots are positively geotropic: Since roots grow into the soil and go deeper and deeper
towards gravity and the source of water. Therefore, they are called positively geotropic.
 Roots have very large surface area: The abundant root hair (200 root hair per sq mm)
increases the surface area of the root for increased absorption of water and minerals.
 Roots contain concentrated cell sap: Root hairs contain some sugar and salt called cell sap.
 Root hair have thin wall: In root hairs, the cell wall is freely permeable and cell membrane
is selectively permeable which allows certain molecules to pass through it. Therefore, water
molecules easily move into the root hairs.

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 Factors Affecting the Absorption of Water
 Soil temperature: An increase or decrease in temperature causes a decrease in the rate of
absorption of water.
 Concentration of soil solution: The cell sap of root hairs is more concentrated than that of
the surrounding soil water. The water, therefore, enters the root hairs till balance in
concentration is maintained.
 Aeration of soil: Well-aerated soil facilitates the absorption of more soil water b the root
hairs.
 The absorption of water and minerals from the soil by the root hairs and its conduction takes
place by four processes. These are: diffusion, osmosis, imbibition and active transport.

 Diffusion
 The movement of gases, liquids and molecules or ions of a solute from the region of their
higher concentration to the region of their lower concentration when come in direct contact
is known as diffusion.
 In plants, diffusion occurs when root hairs come in contact with soil water.

Importance of diffusion
 Exchange of gases during respiration and photosynthesis takes place by diffusion.
 The loss of water in the form of water vapour from the leaves takes place by diffusion.
 Diffusion spreads molecules and ions throughout the protoplasm.

 Osmosis
 Osmosis may be defined as the passage of solvent molecules from a region of their higher
concentration to a region of their lower concentration through a semipermeable membrane.

 Osmosis in plant cells occurs through the cell membrane. A plant cell in pure water takes
water in by osmosis through its selectively permeable cell membrane.

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 Importance of Osmosis in Plants
 Absorption of water from the soil by the root hairs take place through osmosis.
 The movement of water molecules from one cell to the other takes place through osmosis.
 Osmosis helps in maintaining the structure and the form of different organs and the parts
of the plant.
 The force exerted by the concentrated cell sap or solution on the water molecules to let it move
from outside to inside the cell through the semipermeable membrane, is known as osmotic
pressure.

 Types of Solutions
 Isotonic solution: If the concentration of water molecules on either side of the cell
membrane is equal, there will be no osmotic pressure, i.e., there is not net movement of
water molecules across the cell membrane. Such a solution is called isotonic solution.
 Hypotonic solution: If the concentration of water molecules in the solution outside the cell
is higher, or the concentration of solute molecules is lower, then the solution is called
hypotonic solution.
 Hypertonic solution: If the concentration of water molecules outside the cell is lower, or
the concentration of solute particles is more, the solution is called hypertonic solution.
 The inward diffusion of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane when the
surrounding solution is less concentrated, is called endosmosis.
 The outward diffusion of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane when the
surrounding solution is more concentrated is called exosmosis. In a hypertonic solution, the
cell shrinks and loses shape.

 Turgidity
 The outward pressure exerted on the cell wall by the cell contents (cell sap) in a fully-
distended cell, is termed as turgor pressure. The plant cell in this state is said to be turgid
and such a condition is termed as turgidity.
 A plant cell has a very strong cell wall. The cell wall reacts to the turgor pressure and exerts
the pressure on the cell contents. This is called wall pressure.
Importance of turgidity
 Turgidity helps a plant in maintaining the shape of soft organs.
 Turgidity helps in the growth of the roots, pushing the root hair deep into the soil.
 Turgor pressure helps in opening and closing of stomata.
 In some plants, the movements of plant organs are caused due to the change in turgor
pressure. For example, the drooping down of the leaves of Mimosa pudica on touching
them is due to the loss of turgor pressure at the base of the leaflets.
 When a plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution (concentrated solution), it loses water
content by exosmosis. The cytoplasm and vacuole shrink. As the cell contents shrink, the cell
becomes soft. It is said to be flaccid. If the cells in a plant become flaccid, the plant loses its

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 rigidness and begins to wilt or droop. This condition of the cell becoming less rigid is called
flaccidity. If a plant does not get sufficient water during summer, the cell becomes flaccid.
 Imbibition may be defined as a phenomenon in which the living or the dead cells of plants in
their dry or semi-dry state absorb water by surface attraction due to the hygroscopic
constituents such as cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin material of the cell wall.
 This shrinkage of the cytoplasm and the cell membrane from the cell wall is called plasmolysis
and the cell is said to be plasmolysed.
 The condition of regaining turgidity is termed as deplasmolysis.

 Active transport is the passage of a substance from its lower concentration to its higher
concentration using energy from the cell, through a living cell membrane. It is opposite to the
process of diffusion, which is passive transport.

 Root pressure is thus explained as the pressure exerted by the cells of cortex of the root upon
their liquid contents under a fully turgid condition, forcing a quantity of them into the xylem
vessels and through upward movement into the stem.
 The process of movement of sap from the roots to the aerial parts of the plant is called ascent
of sap.

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 Forces Responsible for Ascent of Sap
 Root pressure: Root pressure is sufficient to conduct water in small herbaceous plants.
 Capillary force: The xylem capillaries exert a capillary force which helps in the ascent of
sap
 Cohesion and adhesion of water: Dixon and Jolly proposed that a strong cohesive force
forms a long and continuous column of water from the roots to the leaves without any air-
bubble in the passage. There is another force which is present in between the cell surface
and water, called adhesion. This helps in drawing more water molecules from more turgid
cells below it.
 Transpirational pull: Transpirational pull helps in ascent of sap in case of tall trees.

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