Transport in Plants Notes Bio A Level
Transport in Plants Notes Bio A Level
Transport in Plants Notes Bio A Level
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
Plants require a variety of mineral ions which are important in the formation of plant
structures, components of pigments such as chlorophyll and also facilitate
physiological activity of enzymes.
The uptake of mineral ions by plants may occur either passively by diffusion or
actively by active transport. The uptake of ions by plants is largely a selective process
related to the plants need for particular ions.
a) Active uptake of mineral ions.
Most mineral ions required by the plant are selectively absorbed by active transport in
which the ions are moved from the soil solution where their concentration is low to
the root epidermal cells by transport proteins. The transport proteins reversibly change
their shape using energy from ATP during this process.
The figure below shows the relationship between the rate of respiration and
mineral uptake.
From the figure, when potassium chloride
is added, the rate of respiration increases.
This is to supply the required energy for
mineral ion absorption by the plant
The control is of distilled water in which
its presence has no effect on rate of
respiration. It’s absorbed passively
The energy from respiration is also used
to prevent outward diffusion of the
accumulated ions, using the cell
membrane as a barrier.
1|Page
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
iii. Presence of respiratory inhibitor results into a reduction in the rate of mineral ion
uptake. In this case, mineral ion uptake is only passive.
The figure below shows the effect of potassium cyanide, a respiratory inhibitor
on mineral ion uptake
2|Page
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
iv. The rate of mineral ion uptake is affected by temperature such that an increase in
temperature results into an increase in mineral ion uptake.
The figure below shows the effect of temperature on rate of potassium ion uptake in
plants
v. Cutting off oxygen supply from root results into a reduction in mineral ion uptake
A graph to show effect of oxygen deprivation and metabolic poison on uptake of
sulphate ions in intact barley plants
The curves show that in aerobic conditions, the
sulphate ion uptake is highest with increasing
time. This is because a lot of energy from ATP
hydrolysis is generated to power active uptake.
In anaerobic conditions, little energy is
generated and the uptake of sulphur ions is
lower than in aerobic conditions.
In presence of metabolic poison, uptake of
sulphur ions is lowest and is only due to passive
absorption
b) Passive uptake
This is mainly a result of diffusion and is non selective uptake. When mineral ions are
higher in concentration within the soil solution as compared to the cytoplasm of
epidermal root cells, ions tend to move down a concentration gradient into the cells of
the roots. Fewer ions are however taken up by this process.
3|Page
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
Once inside the root hair cells, ions dissolved in water move from cells of epidermis
to cortex and into the epidermis through similar pathways as water. The ions tend to
be actively transported by symplast from epidermis to the xylem tissue. This results
into flow of water into the root xylem and results into root pressure.
The mineral ions thus move up the xylem of roots to stem by mass flow resulting from
transpiration pull. The ions are absorbed by the cells in the stem and leaves.
Evidence to show that mineral ions are transported in the xylem
Mineral ions are present in xylem sap
There is a similarity between rate of mineral ion transport and rate of transpiration
When a plant is grown in a solution containing a dye such as eosin, the dye is
present in the xylem.
Removal of living tissue including phloem does not prevent transportation of
mineral ions.
4|Page
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
5|Page
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
Evidence supporting mass flow hypothesis is derived from the fact that sucrose
concentration is higher in photosynthetic regions and lower in growth and storage
regions. This supports pressure build up to bring about mass flow of organic food
substances
Limitations of mass flow hypothesis
Does not explain difference in speed of movement of sugars and amino acids in
phloem
Does not explain movement of sugars and amino acids moving in opposite
directions within the same group of sieve tubes.
Does not explain why phloem consists of metabolically active cells along its
length
Does not explain presence of sieve plates which would offer resistance to flow
of organic materials.
The figures included for cytoplasmic streaming and electro-osmosis are intended to
help you understand the mechanisms here in described. You may not draw them
6|Page
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
3. ELECTRO-OSMOSIS
In this hypothesis, water molecules
move across charged sieve plates in
the sieve tube. This is a result of
active transport of potassium ions
which are pumped from one end of
the sieve plate i.e. lower end to the
opposite end i.e. upper end using
energy from mitochondria in
companion cells.
The stream of water flows towards
the negative end such that solutes are
carried with it in a mass flow.
7|Page
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
8|Page
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
9|Page
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
10 | P a g e
TRANSPORT IN PLANTS
11 | P a g e