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IGCSE Biology CIE Your notes
8.1 Transport in Plants
Contents
8.1.1 Xylem & Phloem
8.1.2 Root Hair Cells
8.1.3 Pathway Taken by Water
8.1.4 Transpiration
8.1.5 Investigating Temperature & Wind Speed
8.1.6 Transpiration Stream: Extended
8.1.7 Explaining the Effects of Temperature, Wind Speed & Humidity: Extended
8.1.8 Translocation
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8.1.1 Xylem & Phloem
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The Xylem & Phloem
Plants contain two types of transport vessel:
Xylem vessels – transport water and minerals (pronounced: z i-lem) from the roots to the
stem and leaves
Phloem vessels – transport food materials (mainly sucrose and amino acids) made by the
plant from photosynthesising leaves to non-photosynthesising regions in the roots and
stem (pronounced: flow-em)
These vessels are arranged throughout the root, stem and leaves in groups called vascular
bundles
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Vascular tissue in a dicotyledonous plant
Exam Tip
If you are asked to identify the xylem or phloem in a diagram showing a cross-section of a root,
stem or leaf just remember that xylem is always on the inside and phloem is always on the
outside.
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Adaptations of Xylem Vessels: Extended
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Xylem cells lose their top and bottom walls to form a continuous tube through which water moves
through from the roots to the leaves
Function: transport tissue for water and dissolved mineral ions
Adaptations:
Cells joined end to end with no cross walls to form a long continuous tube
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Cells are essentially dead, without cell contents, to allow free passage of water
Outer walls are thickened with a substance called lignin, strengthening the tubes, which helps
support the plant Your notes
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8.1.2 Root Hair Cells
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Root Hair Cells
Root hairs are single-celled extensions of epidermis cells in the root
They grow between soil particles and absorb water and minerals from the soil
Water enters the root hair cells by osmosis
This happens because soil water has a higher water potential than the cytoplasm of the root hair
cell
Structure of the root
The root hair increases the surface area of the cells significantly
This large surface area is important as it increases the rate of the absorption of water by
osmosis and mineral ions by active transport
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8.1.3 Pathway Taken by Water
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Pathway Taken by Water
Osmosis causes water to pass into the root hair cells, through the root cortex and into the xylem
vessels:
Pathway of water into and across a root
Once the water gets into the xylem, it is carried up to the leaves where it enters mesophyll cells
So the pathway is:
root hair cell → root cortex cells → xylem → leaf mesophyll cells
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Investigating Water Movement in Plants
The pathway can be investigated by placing a plant (like celery) into a beaker of water that has had Your notes
a stain added to it (food colouring will work well)
After a few hours, you can see the leaves of the celery turning the same colour as the dyed water,
proving that water is being taken up by the celery
If a cross-section of the celery is cut, only certain areas of the stalk is stained the colour of the
water, showing that the water is being carried in specific vessels through the stem - these are the
xylem vessels
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Investigating water movement in plants using a stain
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8.1.4 Transpiration
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Transpiration
Water travels up xylem from the roots into the leaves of the plant to replace the water that has
been lost due to transpiration
Transpiration is defined as the loss of water vapour from plant leaves by evaporation of water
at the surfaces of the mesophyll cells followed by diffusion of water vapour through the
stomata
Xylem is adapted in many ways:
A substance called lignin is deposited in the cell walls which causes the xylem cells to die
These cells then become hollow (as they lose all their organelles and cytoplasm) and join
end-to-end to form a continuous tube for water and mineral ions to travel through from the
roots
Lignin strengthens the plant to help it withstand the pressure of the water movement
Movement in xylem only takes place in one direction - from roots to leaves (unlike phloem
where movement takes place in different directions)
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Water uptake, transport and transpiration
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Transpiration in plants
Transpiration has several functions in plants:
transporting mineral ions
providing water to keep cells turgid in order to support the structure of the plant
providing water to leaf cells for photosynthesis
keeping the leaves cool (the conversion of water (liquid) into water vapour (gas) as it leaves
the cells and enters the airspace requires heat energy. The using up of heat to convert water
into water vapour helps to cool the plant down)
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8.1.5 Investigating Temperature & Wind Speed
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Investigating the Effect of Temperature & Wind Speed on
Transpiration Rate
Investigating the role of environmental factors in determining the rate of
transpiration from a leafy shoot
Cut a shoot underwater to prevent air entering the xylem and place in tube
Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram and make sure it is airtight, using vaseline to seal any
gaps
Dry the leaves of the shoot (wet leaves will affect the results)
Remove the capillary tube from the beaker of water to allow a single air bubble to form and place
the tube back into the water
Set up the environmental factor you are investigating
Allow the plant to adapt to the new environment for 5 minutes
Record the starting location of the air bubble
Leave for a set period of time
Record the end location of air bubble
Change the wind speed or temperature (only one - whichever factor is being investigated)
Reset the bubble by opening the tap below the reservoir
Repeat the experiment
The further the bubble travels in the same time period, the faster transpiration is occurring
and vice versa
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An experimental setup for testing the effect of light intensity on transpiration rates. The
apparatus can be modified to test the effects of temperature and wind speed.
Environmental factors can be investigated in the following ways:
Temperature: Temperature of room (cold room and warm room)
As temperature increases, the rate of transpiration also increases
Wind speed: Use an electric fan to mimic different wind speeds
As wind speed increases, the rate of transpiration also increases
Exam Tip
Remember when designing an investigation to ensure a fair test you must keep all factors the
same other than the one you are investigating.
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8.1.6 Transpiration Stream: Extended
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Water Vapour Loss: Extended
Evaporation takes place from the surfaces of spongy mesophyll cells
The many interconnecting air spaces between these cells and the stomata create a large
surface area
This means evaporation can happen rapidly when stomata are open
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Transpiration Stream: Extended
Water molecules are attracted to each other by cohesion - creating a continuous column of Your notes
water up the plant
Water moves through the xylem vessels in a continuous transpiration stream from roots to
leaves via the stem
Transpiration produces a tension or ‘pull’ on the water in the xylem vessels by the leaves
As water molecules are held together by cohesive forces (each individual molecule ‘pulls’ on the
one below it), so water is pulled up through the plant
If the rate of transpiration from the leaves increases, water molecules are pulled up the xylem
vessels quicker
The generation of the transpiration stream
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8.1.7 Explaining the Effects of Temperature, Wind Speed &
Humidity: Extended Your notes
Explaining the Effects of Temperature, Wind Speed & Humidity:
Extended
Wind speed, humidity and temperature all have an effect on the rate at which transpiration occurs
The table below explains how these factors affect the rate of transpiration when they are all high;
the opposite effect would be observed if they were low
Transpiration Rate Factors Table
A potometer can be used to investigate the effect of environmental factors on the rate of
transpiration
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Wilting: Extended
If more water evaporates from the leaves of a plant than is available in the soil to move into the Your notes
root by osmosis, then wilting will occur
This is when all the cells of the plant are not full of water, so the strength of the cell walls cannot
support the plant and it starts to collapse
A wilted plant cannot support itself and starts to collapse
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8.1.8 Translocation
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Translocation: Extended
The soluble products of photosynthesis are sugars (mainly sucrose) and amino acids
These are transported around the plant in the phloem tubes which are made of living cells (as
opposed to xylem vessels which are made of dead cells)
The cells are joined end to end and contain holes in the end cell walls (called sieve plates) which
allow easy flow of substances from one cell to the next
The transport of sucrose and amino acids in the phloem, from regions of production to regions
of storage or use, is called translocation
Transport in the phloem goes in many different directions depending on the stage of
development of the plant or the time of year; however dissolved food is always transported from
the source (where it’s made) to sink (where it’s stored or used):
During winter, when many plants have no leaves, the phloem tubes may transport dissolved
sucrose and amino acids from the storage organs to other parts of the plant so that respiration
can continue
During a growth period (eg during the spring), the storage organs (eg roots) would be the source
and the many growing areas of the plant would be the sinks
After the plant has grown (usually during the summer), the leaves are photosynthesiz ing and
producing large quantities of sugars; so they become the source and the roots become the
sinks – storing sucrose as starch until it is needed again
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Translocation through the phloem
Comparison between Xylem and Phloem Tissue Table
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