Explain how osmosis is involved in the intake and transport of water by plants.
tot shd be capillary action?
Originally posted by FireIce:tot shd be capillary action?
This question is written this way :x
This is a little late but if you still haven't gotten your answer...
In the roots of the plants, there is higher water potential in the soil than in the root hair cells of the plant, therefore the water will enter the root cells through the process of osmosis down the concentration gradient, as osmosis is the movememt of water molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of higher concentration through a partially permeable membrane. In the root, the cells nearer the xylem will have a lower water potential than the cells at the top of the roots, therefore water will diffuse into the plans, alsso maintaining the concentration gradient at the tip of the root. In the leaves, is tit necessary for the mesophyll cells to have a thin film of water around them, and the water is constantly evaporating into the intercellular air spaces and diffusing out of the plant. To replenish the thin film of water, osmosis occurs from the xylem to the mesophyll cells of the leaves. (This process is transpiration). Therefore, osmosis aids largely in the transport of water as it 'pulls up' the water from the xylem itself.
Lengthy, but i hope it helps! =D
Originally posted by WMJusyo:This is a little late but if you still haven't gotten your answer...
In the roots of the plants, there is higher water potential in the soil than in the root hair cells of the plant, therefore the water will enter the root cells through the process of osmosis down the concentration gradient, as osmosis is the movememt of water molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of higher concentration through a partially permeable membrane. In the root, the cells nearer the xylem will have a lower water potential than the cells at the top of the roots, therefore water will diffuse into the plans, alsso maintaining the concentration gradient at the tip of the root. In the leaves, is tit necessary for the mesophyll cells to have a thin film of water around them, and the water is constantly evaporating into the intercellular air spaces and diffusing out of the plant. To replenish the thin film of water, osmosis occurs from the xylem to the mesophyll cells of the leaves. (This process is transpiration). Therefore, osmosis aids largely in the transport of water as it 'pulls up' the water from the xylem itself.
Lengthy, but i hope it helps! =D
Good answer.
As mentioned by WMJusyo,
He had said all about movement of water outside of the root hair into the xylem
(ADD on: There is another way, less well known, for water to enter into xylem which is water can glide across the cell walls of root hair cells into the xylem and this is not related to osmosis whereby water had to enter into the cells by passing through the cell membrane (University level stuff: Through aquaporins). The giding of the water molecules through the cell wall is just called as such as there is no entering into the cell membrane and why it can glide is cellulose is porous and (A level stuffs: Cellulose had some polar OH group at the Beta glucose molecule which is polar and will attract water molecules across, oh yes, cellulose made up plants cells and is present in a mesh form of cellulose macrofibers). Water will glide from cell wall to cell wall and lastly into the xylem)
Take note also xylem is never a cell as it do not have any nucleus nor organelles.
For transport of water from xylem towards leaves, this is debatable and the debacle is unconcluded. 3 main processes are involved
Originally posted by SBS n SMRT:(Pardon my infusion of Chem and Bio as it is what it should be given that I am a H3 Proteomics (Chem + Bio) student)
"am" a H3 student? Didn't you graduate already? In the army now?
What will you be studying in the Uni after your ORD?
i am still in jc, jc2
Originally posted by SBS n SMRT:i am still in jc, jc2