Water transport

How does water move from the ground up to the leaves of a plant?

• Roots do more than just anchor a plant in the ground - they take up water and mineral salts from the soil
• The surfac of roots have specialised root hair cell with long thin extensions that reach into the surrounding soil
• The root hairs provide a large surface area for substances to enter the root

Osmosis and active transport

• Water enters the root hair cells by osmosis. In this proces, water  moves across a partially permeable membrane (a membrane that only certain substances can pass through) from a region where water in in higher concentration to a region where it is in lower concentation 

• Roots can absorb nitrate and other mineral ions…