University of San Agustin

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

General Luna Street, Iloilo City, Philippines, 5000
Tel. No. (+63-33) 337-4841 to 44

Name:_____________________________________ Year and Section:_______ Date: __________

Activity 5: Transport in Plant

I. Objective:
1. To demonstrate water and mineral transport in plants

II. Introduction
Plants need water. The wilted leaves recover when water is added to the soil, which means that water
has been conducted upward into the leaves. You have also learnt that the leaves for photosynthesis need water.
Likewise, the food produced in the leaves has to be transported to other parts of the plant including the stem, the
roots flowers and fruits etc. All this transportation is the function of conducting tissues. You will read about
these aspects of plant and animal life in this activity.

III. Materials Needed:

● Food coloring or powdered dyes; colors: red, green(control) and yellow

● sharp blade/cutter
● 2 pcs. white rose (any white flowers) with thick stem
● 4 containers/ mineral bottles( 1 extra container)

IV. Procedure

Water and Mineral Transport in Plants

1. Dissolve the dye in a container (transparent) filled with water. Estimate the water and the dye as long as
it is dissolved well.
2. Cut an estimated cm crosswise at the bottom stem of the first white rose. It must be cut vertically as long
as the stem is divided into 3 equal parts. But the height of the vertical cut depends on the height of the
container and the amount of dye solution inside.

Bottom Stem

3. Submerge immediately the stem with cut ends in the designated plastic container with dye solution.
4. Do not cut the second rose like the first one instead make a slanting cut at the bottom stem and submerge
it in the green dye solution.
 University of San Agustin
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
General Luna Street, Iloilo City, Philippines, 5000
Tel. No. (+63-33) 337-4841 to 44

5. Let it stand for 4 hours or until 1 day as long as you observe changes on the color of your white rose.

Setup

V. Documentations:
(documentation or pictures taken as proof of performing the activity properly; should have a caption)

Water and Mineral Transport in Plants

White Flowers Before After

a. First White
Flower
(experimental: 3
colors)

b. Second White
Flower
(control: 1 color)

VI. Data and Observations:

White Flowers Before After

a. First White White rose flower with stem cut Color red and yellow were colors
Flower into three parts and submerged evident in rose petals, there is a
(experimental: 3 to 3 colors small amount of green pigment.
colors)
Green dye can be completely seen
b. Second White White rose flower with stem on the edges of the white rose
 University of San Agustin
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
General Luna Street, Iloilo City, Philippines, 5000
Tel. No. (+63-33) 337-4841 to 44

Flower submerged in green color dye

(control: 1 color)

VII. Analysis: Answers must be brief and concise with a maximum of 200 words only.

Water and Mineral Transport in Animals

1. What is the purpose of using the dye?

Answer:
Food dye can change the color of flowers when you put it in the plant's water. Plants lose moisture through the
tiny pores in their leaves. When the roots and stems draw up the colored water, it eventually reaches and comes
out in the flowers.
The cut flowers take up water through their stem and the water moves from the stem to the flowers and leaves.
Water travels up tiny tubes in the plant by a process called Capillary Action. Capillary action is the ability of a
liquid or the colored water to flow in narrow spaces like the flower stem without the help of an outside force,
like gravity. Putting a colored dye in the water in the vase allows us to observe the capillary action at work.

2. Until what plant part did the dye solution reach? What does it signify?
Answer:
When a cut flower is placed in dye, the dye is pulled up the stem and absorbed along with the water. As
transpiration causes the water to evaporate from the leaves, the dye is left behind on the petals, so the dye
solution reach the flowers petal. After hours of being in the dyed water, some flowers have showed dyed spots
near the edges of their petals. The water that has been pulled up undergoes a process called transpiration, which
is when the water from leaves and flower petals evaporates. However, the dye it brought along doesn't
evaporate, and stays around to color the flower. The loss of water generates low water pressure in the leaves and
petals, causing more colored water to be pulled through the stem

3. How does transport in plants takes place?

Answer:
Plants contain a vast network of conduits which consist of xylem and phloem. This is more like the circulatory
system that transports blood throughout the human body. Similar to the circulatory system in humans, the xylem
and phloem tissues extend throughout the plant. These conducting tissues originate from the roots and move up
through the trunks of trees. Later they branch off into the branches and then branching even further into every
leaf, like spider webs.

4. Describe xylem and phloem transport.

Answer:
The plants have low energy needs, as they use relatively slow transport systems.Plant transport systems move
energy from leaves and raw materials from roots to all their parts. Plants use two different transport systems,
both of which are rows of cells which form tubes around the plant. The xylem transports water and dissolved
minerals upward through the plant, from the roots to the leaves. The phloem carries food downward from the
leaves to the roots.
 University of San Agustin
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
General Luna Street, Iloilo City, Philippines, 5000
Tel. No. (+63-33) 337-4841 to 44

5. How do plants living in an arid environment cope with excessive water loss?
Answer:
Plants living in an arid environment protect themselves from excessive water loss by closely regulating stomatal
opening and closing. They usually have special means of storing and conserving water. They often have few or
no leaves, which reduces transpiration. Plants that have adapted to arid environments have extremely long roots,
allowing them to acquire moisture at or near the water table. Leaves are covered by a waxy cuticle on the outer
surface that prevents the loss of water. Regulation of transpiration, therefore, is achieved primarily through the
opening and closing of stomata on the leaf surface.

6. Describe other environmental factors or conditions that may affect transpiration rates in plants.
Answer:
Factors that affect the rate of transpiration also affect water uptake by the plant. If water is scarce, or the roots
are damaged, a plant may wilt.Factors affecting the rate of transpiration is affected by several factors, including:
Increased temperature, decreased humidity, Increased wind speed and increased light intensity.

VII. Conclusion/Summary:
(answers the objective of the activity and relate the result to personal life experience or realizations)

In this experiment, the plant stem was placed in the water containing the food colouring. After some time the
coloured solution was then noted to be taken up by the plant. The food colouring dissolved in the water is also
moved through the plant up the stem and into the leaves through transpiration. When the water evaporates and
is removed from the leaf’s stomata, the dye is left behind, resulting in a colour change in the leaves.
Plants need water to survive. Plants contains vast network of conduits called xylem and phloem which helps
plants tranport nutrients and minerals. Plants have two transport systems - xylem and phloem. Xylem transports
water and minerals. Phloem transports sugars and amino acids dissolved in water.

GRADE 12- GENERAL BIOLOGY

_____SCORING RUBRIC FOR LABORATORY ACTIVITY_____

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 Scores
Drawings/ Clear, accurate Diagrams are Diagrams are Needed diagrams
Diagrams diagrams are included included and are included and are are missing OR are
and make the labeled neatly and labeled. missing important
experiment easier to accurately. labels.
understand. Diagrams
are labeled neatly and
accurately.
 University of San Agustin
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
General Luna Street, Iloilo City, Philippines, 5000
Tel. No. (+63-33) 337-4841 to 44

Conclusion Conclusion describes Conclusion describes Conclusion describes No conclusion is

the skills learned, the the information the information written.
information learned learned and a learned.
and some future possible application
applications to real life to a real life
situations. situation.
Materials All materials and setup Almost all materials Most of the materials Many materials are
used in the experiment and the setup used in and the setup used in described
are clearly and the experiment are the experiment are inaccurately OR
accurately described. clearly and accurately described. are not described
accurately described. at all.

Analysis The relationship The relationship The relationship The relationship

between the variables between the between the between the
is discussed and variables is variables is variables is not
trends/patterns discussed and discussed but no discussed.
logically analyzed. trends/patterns patterns, trends or
Predictions are made logically analyzed. predictions are made
about what might based on the data.
happen if part of the
lab were changed or
how the experimental
design could be
changed.
Appearance/ Lab report is typed and Lab report is neatly Lab report is neatly Lab report is
Organization uses headings and handwritten and uses written or typed, but handwritten and
subheadings to headings and formatting does not looks sloppy with
visually organize the subheadings to help visually cross-outs,
material. visually organize the organize the multiple erasures
material. material. and/or tears and
creases.
Total /20