Water flow through plants

?
  • Created by: Jo Wells
  • Created on: 11-04-13 11:36
View mindmap
  • Water flow through plants
    • phloem tubes
      • transport food
        • made in the leaves to the growing regions (e.g. new shoots) & storage organs (e.g. root tubers)
        • in both directions
      • made of columns of living cells
        • with small holes  in the ends - to let things to flow through
    • xylem tubes
      • take water up
        • from the roots to the stem & leaves in the transpiration stream
      • made of dead cells joined end to end with no end walls between them - a hole down the middle
    • transpiration = water loss from plant
      • is caused by the evaporation & diffusion of water from inside the leaves
      • creates slight shortage of water in the leaf - so more water is drawn up from rest of plant through xylem vessels to replace it
        • this in turn means more water is drawn up from roots = constant transpiration stream
      • is a side -effect of  the way leaves are adapted for photosynthesis
        • they need stomata to exchange gases easily & as there is more water inside the plant than outside the water escapes

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Biology resources:

See all Biology resources »See all Photosynthesis and transpiration resources »