Transport In Plants

The Transport System of Plants: Xylem & Phloem

Plants need water & mineral salts for their growth & development. They are
absorbed from the soil by the roots. These have to be sent to the other parts
of the plant. The leaves prepare food for the plant which also has to be sent
to all the other parts.
• The tissue which transports water & the mineral salts to different parts
of the plants (especially to the leaves where photosynthesis takes
place) from the roots is known as: Xylem.

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• The tissue which transports the food prepared in the leaves to the
other parts of the plant where photosynthesis does not take place like

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the stem & roots is known as: Phloem.

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Xylem & phloem tissues are usually found in close proximity to each other.
Both the groups when taken together are known as: Vascular Bundles
Transport In Plants

Xylem
• The cells of the xylem tissue which carry water are known as vessels.
These are hollow, dead cells which are joined end to end. After growth
stoppage, the end walls between the cells, dissolve leaving behind a
continuous & long tube.
• The cell walls of the vessel cells becomes thick & an organic compound
called lignin is deposited which is very tough and impermeable. Lignin
deposition prevents osmosis & diffusion of water & mineral ions which

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causes the cell to lose its cellular elements.

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• Lignin is very strong and helps the plant to stay erect. It also keeps the

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vessels open so that there is a continuous flow of water to the

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different parts of the plant.
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Transport In Plants

Adaptations of Xylem

For Transport
• Xylem consists of dead cells which has no contents i.e. they are hollow
so water can flow through it without hinderance.
• Xylem cells do not have end or cross walls between the cells so water
can easily flow from one cell to another.

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• Xylem cells have the hard substance- lignin in their cell walls which

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make the vessels rigid for the proper transmission of water.

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• The xylem vessels are adequately wide so that large quantities of

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water can be carried through them.
• The cell walls of the xylem vessels being thick in nature- they provide
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water proofing and prevent water loss from the cells.

For Support
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• The presence of lignin in the cell walls of the xylem vessels provides
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support to the plants and helps them stay erect. Its presence in the mid
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rib & veins of the leaves helps them to stay flat so that they can receive
maximum sunlight.
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Transport In Plants

Phloem
• Phloem is made up of cells which are alive and are vertically arranged
like the xylem vessels and are known as sieve tubes. Their end walls
usually have perforations through which substances can pass from one
cell to another. These perforated end walls are known as sieve plates.
• The sieve tubes contain little cytoplasm but no nucleus and their
activity is controlled by a companion cell lying next to them.
• The phloem cells do not contain lignin.

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Transport In Plants

Location of Xylem & Phloem In Various Parts of the Plant:

Leaf
→ Xylem & phloem are present in the mid rib as well as the veins of the
leaves. Xylem is present towards the upper epidermis & phloem towards the
lower epidermis.

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Stem
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→ In dicot plants, the stem is composed internally of:

• Epidermis- Single cell
outermost layer.
• Cortex- Several layers of
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cells providing support &

storing food.
• Vascular Bundles –
Xylem and phloem are
wedge shaped arranged
in the form of a ring with
xylem being inside the
wedge facing towards
the center of the circle.
• Pith- The central tissue of the stem whose primary function is food
storage.
Transport In Plants

Root
→ A typical root has the following:
• Epidermis- It is single
layered with thin-walled
cells which may have
projections called root
hair.
• Cortex- It consists of

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multiple layers of cells
which usually store food.

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• Endodermis- It is a single

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layer of closely packed
cells and forms a
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boundary between the
vascular bundles & the cortex.
• Vascular Bundles- They are situated at the
center of the root arranged with xylem on
the inside.
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• Pith- It may be very small or absent.

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Transport In Plants

Transport of Water
• The terminal end of the root in the soil is known as the root tip which
is protected by a thick root cap. This region is followed by a zone of
elongating cells which help in the increase in length of the roots.
After this region, there is a furry region characterized by cells of the
epidermis of the root which have hair like extensions. These are the
root hair cells.
Characteristics:

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1. They are single celled extensions of the epidermal cells.

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2. They have a short life span and are continuously replaced by

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newer cells.

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3. They grow in-between the soil particles and provide a large
surface area for the roots for absorption of water & mineral
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Water enters root hair cells by osmosis as the soil has a higher water potential
than the root hair cells→ Root cortex → Xylem vessels (which lie at the center
of the root)
Water moves up through the xylem vessels of the root & then the stem→
Finally to the veins of the leaves→ Mesophyll cells.
The pressure to draw up water to the leaves from the root is created by the
loss of water in the leaves due to the process of transpiration.
Transport In Plants

There are various theories regarding the manner in which water

passes from cell to cell:
→ It can travel through or in-between cell walls from cell to cell.
→ Some of it can travel through the vacuoles of one cell to another.

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Transpiration
Transpiration can be defined as loss of water vapour from the leaves of
plants. In it → water evaporates from the mesophyll cells of leaves and
saturates the air spaces resent between the spongy mesophyll layer → then
diffuses out of the stomata to the atmosphere.
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• Transpiration usually stops at night as the stomata are closed.

• The stomata are usually present on the lower surface (dicot plants) of
leaves.
• The water loss by transpiration occurring in the leaves creates a
suction pressure on the xylem vessels in the stem which helps in
drawing up the water and this is known as the transpiration stream or
transpiration pull.
Transport In Plants

Water movement through xylem

→ Evaporation of water from the mesophyll cells into the air spaces and their
subsequent diffusion through the stomata creates a suction pressure which
draws up the water through the
xylem vessels: Transpiration pull.
→ The cohesion between the
water molecules (i.e the attractive
forces between the water

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molecules) along with the

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adhesion (the stickiness of the

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water molecules to the vessel

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walls) maintains a continuous
column of water in the xylem
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vessels.
→ Water enters the mesophyll
cells of the leaf from the xylem
vessels by osmosis down the
concentration gradient.
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Factors Affecting Transpiration
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• Temperature: The rise of temperature causes increased evaporation of

water and also an increase in kinetic energy of the water molecules.
So, transpiration rate increases with an increase in temperature.
• Humidity: This defines the amount of moisture present in the air. If
there is high humidity, then there will be less diffusion of water from
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the leaves as the concentration of water in the air is high so the

concertation gradient is small. Thus, transpiration decreases with an
increase in humidity.
• Air Movement: In windy conditions, water diffusing out will be carried
away quickly by the wind so a high concentration gradient for water
will be maintained between the leaf and the air and transpiration rate
will be high. In still air, the transpiration rate decreases.
• Light: It indirectly affects transpiration by opening & closing of
stomata. In light→ stomata are usually open leading to water loss by
transpiration. In darkness→ stomata are usually closed causing
transpiration to stop.
Transport In Plants

Wilting: It is a condition seen usually when the temperatures are high and
the atmosphere is windy. The plant cells lose water at a greater rate due to
transpiration than it can be absorbed from the roots. So, the cells cannot
maintain their firm, turgid state and become flaccid. This leads to drooping of
the leaves and the stem. This is known as wilting. This is a temporary phase
and the plant recovers by absorbing water when the temperatures drop.

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Importance of Transpiration
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1. It helps in the absorption of water & mineral ions by the roots.

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2. It helps in the transportation of water to the leaves against gravity due
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to the suction pressure which develops due to loss of water.

3. It has a cooling effect particularly on the leaves-water evaporating
from the leaves takes away the latent heat & brings their temperature
down. This protects the cytoplasm & the enzymes from getting
denatured due to excessive heat.
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4. It removes any excess water which may be taken up by the plant roots.
Transport In Plants

Translocation
It is the movement or transport of sucrose & amino acids from their
region of production (source) to the region where they are stored (sink) or
are utilized (respiration and growth).
• It takes place through the phloem tubes usually from the leaves
which prepare food to all parts of the plant- roots, flowers, buds
etc.
• The food – mainly in the form of sucrose, amino acids & oils is

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transported from the leaves both up & down the stem.

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Concept of Source & Sink

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Source→ The part of the plant from where translocation of food starts is
known as the source.
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Sink→ The part of the plant where the food is taken by the phloem tubes is
known as the sink.
The “Source” and the “Sink” are interchangeable.
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Eg. Potato plant:

• In summer when the leaves are present
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and perform photosynthesis, the food
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produced in the leaves is sent down to be

stored in modified portions of the
underground stem. These form swellings
called tubers due to storage of starch.
(Source→ Leaves and Sink→ Stem tubers)
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• In winter, the leaves die out and only the

tubers are left in a dormant state below the
ground.
Transport In Plants

• In spring, new shoots start to develop from

the tubers. The tubers now provide food for
the developing leaves and stem till the
process of photosynthesis starts in the leaves.
The stored starch is converted to sucrose &
transported by phloem to all parts of the
growing plant. (Source→ Tuber and Sink→
Growing Leaves)

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