TRANSPORT IN

VASCULAR PLANTS
• Uptake and Transport of Water and Minerals
• Uptake and Transport of Organic Substances
INTRODUCTION

 Physical forces drive the transport

of materials in plants over a range of
distances
 Transport in vascular plants occurs
on three scales
◦ Transport of water and solutes by
individual cells, such as root hairs
◦ Short-distance transport of substances
from cell to cell at the levels of tissues
and organs
◦ Long-distance transport within xylem
and phloem at the level of the whole
plant
 A variety of physical processes are involved in
the different types of transport

5 Sugars are produced by

4 Through stomata, leaves photosynthesis in the leaves.
take in CO2 and expel O2. CO2 O2
The CO2 provides carbon for Light
photosynthesis. Some O2
produced by photosynthesis H2 O Sugar
is used in cellular respiration.

3 Transpiration, the loss of water

from leaves (mostly through
Stomata, some from cuticle and lenticel),
creates a force within 6 Sugars are transported as
leaves that pulls xylem sap upward. phloem sap to roots and other
parts of the plant.

2 Water and minerals are

transported upward from
roots to shoots as xylem sap.

7 Roots exchange gases

1 Roots absorb water
with the air spaces of soil,
and dissolved minerals O2 taking in O2 and
from the soil. H2 O discharging
CO2 CO2. In cellular
Minerals respiration,
O2 supports the
breakdown
of sugars.
 Roots absorb wWater and mineral salts from the soil
 Enter the plant through the epidermis of roots and
ultimately flow to the shoot system
Three routes are available for the movement of
water and solute
BHA (15)

➢ Symplastic / Symplast route

→ solute & water move from
cell to cell via plasmodesmata
➢ Apoplastic / Apoplast route
→ solute & water passes
through the cellulose cell wall
from one cell to another
without ever entering a cell
➢ Vacuolar route → solute &
water passes through the
cytoplasm and vacuole from
one cell to another
THE ENDODERMIS

◦ Is the innermost layer of cells

in the root cortex

◦ Surrounds the vascular

cylinder and functions as the
last checkpoint for the
selective passage of minerals
from the cortex into the
vascular tissue
How water cross
the cortex?
BHA (4) & (7)

Via the symplastic or

apoplastic route

 Presence of the waxy Casparian strip of the endodermal wall

◦ Blocks apoplastic transfer of minerals from the cortex to

the vascular cylinder
◦ Forces water & minerals that are passively moving through
the apoplast to cross the plasma membrane of the
endodermal cell and enter the stele via symplastic route
Lateral transport of minerals and water in roots
BHA (4) & (7)
Casparian strip
Endodermal cell
1. Uptake of soil solution by the Pathway along
hydrophilic walls of root hairs provides apoplast
access to the apoplast. Water and
minerals can then soak into the cortex Pathway
along this matrix of walls. through
symplast
2. Minerals and water that cross the
plasma membranes of root hairs enter
the symplast.

3. As soil solution moves along the

Casparian strip
apoplast, some water and minerals are
transported into the protoplasts of cells Plasma
of the epidermis and cortex and then membrane
Apoplastic
move inward via the symplast. 1
route
Vessels
4. Within the transverse and radial walls 2
(xylem)
of each endodermal cell is the
Casparian strip, a belt of waxy material Root
Symplastic
(purple band) that blocks the passage hair
route
of water and dissolved minerals. Only
minerals already in the symplast or
entering that pathway by crossing the Epidermis Cortex Endodermis Vascular cylinder
plasma membrane of an endodermal
cell can detour around the Casparian
strip and pass into the vascular cylinder. 5. Endodermal cells and also parenchyma cells within the vascular cylinder discharge
water and minerals into their walls (apoplast). The xylem vessels transport the water
and minerals upward into the shoot system.
WATER & MINERALS ASCEND FROM ROOTS TO
SHOOTS THROUGH THE XYLEM

 Plants lose an enormous

amount of water through
transpiration, the loss of
water vapor from leaves
and other aerial parts of the
plant.
 The transpired water must
be replaced by water
transported up from the
roots.
 Transport of Water through Xylem cells

• Water moves through xylem.

• Xylem cells are tracheids or vessel members
• Both are dead at maturity.
 Movement of Water in Plants
➢ Water is pulled up in the xylem in the form of
xylem sap by a transpiration-adhesion-
cohesion-tension (TACT) mechanism.
➢ Transpiration (water loss from the stomata)
creates negative tension in xylem.
➢ Tension extends downward from leaves to roots
causing the hydrogen-bonded water molecules
to be pulled upward through xylem as
continuous columns to replace the water loss.
Refer to BHA (3) and (9)
Transpiration Drives Water Transport
Water evaporates
from leaves
through stomata

Creates a tension
in water column in
xylem

Replacement Water
Is Drawn in through
Roots
Refer to BHA (1) and (4)
 THE TRANSPIRATION-ADHESION -COHESION-TENSION (TACT) MECHANISM
Xylem sap -Dilute solution of water & dissolved mineral ; can rise to heights of more than 100
m in the tallest plants. How?
Refer to BHA (1) ,(3)and (9)

 (1)Water is pulled upward by negative pressure

in the xylem. Transpiration provides the pull and
that the cohesion of water due to hydrogen
bonding transmits the pull along the entire
length of the xylem from shoots to the roots.
 (2) Air outside the leaf is drier, that is it has a
lower water potential than the air inside the
leaf. Water vapor in the airspaces of a leaf.
Diffuses down its water potential gradient and
exits the leaf via stomata.
 (3) The transpirational pull on xylem sap is
transmitted all the way from the leaves to the
root tips and even into the soil solution and is
facilitated by cohesion and adhesion.
 (4) The cohesion of water due to hydrogen
bonding makes it possible to pull a column of
xylem sap from above.
 (5) The strong adhesion of water molecules
(hydrogen bonds) to hydrophilic walls of xylem
cells helps offset the downward force of gravity.
XYLEM SAP ASCENT BY BULK FLOW: A REVIEW
 The movement of xylem sap against gravity s maintained by the
transpiration-cohesion-tension mechanism
Factors affecting the ascent of xylem sap
 Transpiration rate - produces negative pressure
(tension) in the leaf which exerts a pulling force on
water in the xylem and pulls water into the leaf

 Water potential gradient – (water moves from low to

high negative value by process of osmosis)

 Root pressure - Root cells pumps mineral ions from the

soil into the xylem of the vascular cylinder, lowering the
water potential, water flows in from the root cortex
pushes the xylem sap
 Transpiration produces negative pressure (tension) in the leaf
which exerts a pulling force on water in the xylem pulling water into
the leaf.
Guttation → the exudation of water droplets on
tips of grass blades or the leaf margins

 At night, when transpiration is very low, root cells continue pumping

mineral ions into the xylem of the vascular cylinder, lowering the water
potential
 Water flows in from the root cortex generating root pressure, a push of xylem
sap that sometimes causes more water to enter the leaves than is transpired,
resulting in guttation
EFFECTS OF TRANSPIRATION ON WILTING AND LEAF
TEMPERATURE

 Plants lose a large amount of water

by transpiration.
 If the lost water is not replaced by
absorption through the roots, the
plant will lose water and wilt.
 Transpiration also results in
evaporative cooling, which c
 an:
 lower the temperature of a leaf
 prevent the denaturation of various
enzymes involved in photosynthesis
and other metabolic processes

 Transpiration rate are influenced

by several factors, such as :
◦ Temperature
◦ Air movement / Wind speed
◦ Humidity
◦ Light intensity
Refer to BHA (5) and (8)
Refer to BHA (5) and (8)
 STOMATA HELP REGULATE
THE RATE OF TRANSPIRATION

 Leaves generally have (1) broad

surface areas and (2) high surface-
to-volume ratios that increase
photosynthesis and water loss
through stomata.
 About 90% of the water a plant
loses escapes through stomata.
 Each stoma is flanked by guard cells
which control the diameter of the
stoma by changing shape.
20 µm
 Opening and Closing of Stomata
 (Physical Context)
• Guard cells in their turgid (stoma open) and
flaccid (stoma closed) states.
Cells turgid/Stoma open Cells flaccid/Stoma closed

• The pair of guard cells buckle outward when

turgid. Radially oriented
cellulose microfibrils

Cell
• Cellulose microfibrils in the walls resist wall
stretching and compression in the direction
parallel to the microfibrils.

• Thus, the radial orientation of the microfibrils

causes the cells to increase in length more Vacuole
Guard cell
than width when turgor increases.

• The two guard cells are attached at their tips,

so the increase in length causes buckling.
  Opening and Closing of Stomata
 (Chemical Context)

• Changes in turgor pressure that open and

close stomata result primarily from the H2O
H2O H2O H2O
reversible uptake and loss of potassium
H2O
ions by the guard cells. K+
H2O
• The transport of K+ (potassium ions,
symbolized here as red dots) across the
plasma membrane and vacuolar
H2O
membrane causes the turgor changes of H2O H2O H2O
guard cells.
 Opening of stomata (Chemical Context)

➢ When the channels open, this allow movement of

K+ ions into the cell, from the surrounding tissues.
➢ Water potential of the cells adjacent to the guard
cells are higher than that in the cell sap of the guard
cells.
➢ Water passively follows these ions into the guard
cells by osmosis.
➢ When water molecules enter, the vacuoles increase
in size causing osmotic pressure to build up and
causes the guard cells to become turgid.
➢ When the guard cells become turgid, they bend
inwards causing the stomatal pore to open.
➢ Their tugidity increases especially in the morning.
➢ The opening of the stoma is an advantage because
it allows gaseous exchange to take place.
 Closing of stomata (Chemical Context)
➢ As the day progresses the osmotic role of K+
ions is supplanted by that of sucrose (starch
hydrolysis and photosynthesis).
➢ At the end of the day (by which K+
accumulation has decreased) which also
affects the concentration of sucrose that
initiates the loss of water and reduced turgor
pressure.
➢ When the water potential of the adjacent cells
is lower than that in the cell sap of the guard
cells, water molecules move out of the guard
cells into the adjacent cells by osmosis.
➢ When this happens, the guard cells become
plasmolysed which in turn causes the stoma
become flaccid .
➢ Thus, stomata close.
ADAPTATIONS OF XEROPHYTES IN REDUCING TRANSPIRATION

 Plants adapted to arid

climates have various leaf
modifications that reduce the
rate of transpiration
 The stomata are concentrated
on the lower leaf surface and
often located in depressions
that shelter the pores from
the dry wind
ORGANIC NUTRIENTS ARE
TRANSLOCATED THROUGH THE PHLOEM
 Translocation is
the transport of
organic nutrients
(phloem sap) in the
plant.
 Phloem sap is an
aqueous solution
that is mostly
sucrose; travels
from a sugar
source to a sugar
sink
 Phloem

one cell of
a sieve tube

companion
cells in the
background

perforated
end plate
of sieve
tube cell
 MOVEMENT FROM SUGAR SOURCES TO
SUGAR SINKS

 A sugar source is an organ that

is a net producer of sugar, such
as mature leaves.
 A sugar sink is an organ that is
a net consumer or storer of
sugar, such as a tuber or bulb.
 Sugar must be loaded into
sieve-tube members before
being exposed to sinks.
 In many plant species, sugar
moves by symplastic and
apoplastic pathways
• Sucrose manufactured in mesophyll
cells can travel via the symplast (blue
arrows) to sieve-tube members.
• In some species, sucrose exits the
symplast (red arrow) near sieve tubes
and is actively accumulated from the
apoplast by sieve-tube members and
their companion cells.
• In many plants, phloem loading
requires active transport.
• Proton pumping and co-transport of
sucrose and H+ that enable the cells to
accumulate sucrose.
• A chemiosmotic mechanism is
responsible for the active transport of
sucrose into companion cells and sieve-
tube members.
• Proton pumps generate an H+ gradient,
which drives sucrose accumulation with
the help of a cotransport protein that
couples sucrose transport to the
diffusion of H+ back into the cell.
 Researchers have concluded that sap
moves through a sieve tube by bulk flow
driven by positive pressure.

 The pressure flow model explains why

phloem sap always flows from source to
sink

 Experiments have built a strong case for

pressure flow as the mechanism of
translocation in angiosperms
PRESSURE
FLOW THEORY
BHA (8) (12) & (13)