Transport of Water Across the Root

Water is absorbed from the soil by osmosis

Water moves down the Potential ( ) gradient
Water only enters the root near the root tip
Here there are root hairs which increase the surface area for osmosis
Water potential is higher in the epidermal cells than in the central cells
Water moves across the cortex down the Potential gradient to
xylem vessels,
Water can move via the symplast or apoplast routes

Transverse section of a root

endodermis
Casparian strip in
the walls of the
endodermal cells

xylem vessels

stele

Diagram of transverse root

section
epidermis with root hairs
cortex
endodermis
pericycle
xylem
phloem

Water is transported
across the root by two
routes
Apoplast
route
between the cells
via the cell walls

Symplast
route
cell cytoplasm to
cell cytoplasm

The Symplast Route

Through the cytoplasm
Water enters the root hair cells across the partially permeable
membrane by osmosis
Water moves from higher Potential ( ) in the soil to the lower
in the cell
Water moves across the root from cytoplasm to cytoplasm
down the Potential ( ) gradient
It passes from one cell to the other via plasmadesmata
Water moves into the xylem by osmosis
The only way across the endodermis
Normally the most important pathway

The Apoplast Route

Water moves through the cellulose cell wall and intercellular
spaces
The permeable fibres of cellulose do no resist water flow
Water cannot pass the endodermis by this route
Because the Casparian strip in the endodermis cell wall is
impermeable to water
Due to the waterproof band of suberin
So all water must pass the endodermis via the cytoplasm
Therefore it is under cellular control
Apoplast route is important when transpiration rates are high as
it is faster and requires no energy

The Casparian strip acts as an apoplast block

The Casparian strip is made
of suberin, which is
impermeable to water
Water is unable to pass
through the endodermis by
the apoplast route
The endodermis actively
transports salts into the
root xylem
Lowering the Potential ( ) in
the xylem, so water moves
in down the gradient by
osmosis
Water moves up the stem
in the xylem vessels

Transverse Section of a Stem (Dicot)

Vascular bundles

Vascular bundle from a

stem
Epidermis

Phloem

Xylem vessels

Xylem vessels with different types of lignin strengthening the cell walls

Xylem vessels
no cell contents (dead)

lignin fibres strengthen the cell walls

form continuous tubes

so do not collapse when pressure inside falls

Mechanisms for the Transport of Water up the

Xylem
1. Capillarity
2. Root Pressure
3. Cohesion-Tension

Capillarity

Water rises up narrow tubes due to the

adhesive forces between the water
molecules and the wall of the tube
Water rises
higher in
narrower tubes
Xylem vessels are
very narrow

Limitations
1.Water will only rise 50mm

2.The flow rate is slower than the

rate observed in xylem

Root Pressure

Water

Root pressure causes

the mercury to rise in
the manometer

Cut stump of a
well watered
plant
Mercury
Manometer

Root Pressure
Water is pushed up the xylem by hydrostatic pressure
Mineral salts are pumped into the xylem vessels in the root by the
endodermal cells
Lowering the Potential ( ) in the xylem
Water moves in from the surrounding cells by osmosis
Raising the hydrostatic pressure so pushing water up the xylem

What would happen if the roots were deprived of O2?

The pumping of the ions would stop as it requires ATP produced in
aerobic respiration. O2 required for aerobic respiration

Root Pressure: Evidence

1. Cut stumps of plants exude water from their cut ends
2. In certain conditions some leaves exude water from their
leaves = guttation
3. Pressures recorded by mercury manometers attached to the
cut stumps could push water in the xylem up to 30m

Guttation
Water droplets exude from
the leaves

Limitations of the Root Pressure Hypothesis

The pressure measured is not enough to get water to the top
of trees
Only find root pressure in spring
Relies on the use of the plants energy (ATP) for active
transport

Cohesion - Tension

Water is pulled up the xylem by the water lost in transpiration

The sun provides the energy to pull the water up by providing the
energy for evaporation
Water moves up the xylem by mass flow from the higher pressure
in roots to the lower pressure in the leaves
The column of water does not break because of the cohesive
forces between the water molecules
Hydrogen bonds between individual water molecules is the force of
attraction

+
+

+
+

Evidence for the Cohesion Tension Hypothesis

1. Cut stems attached to a tube containing water over mercury can
pull the mercury up almost 1m
2. Dendrographs record that tree trunks have a narrower diameter
during the day when transpiration rate is high i.e. when most
tension is created.
3. Puncturing the xylem of the stem of a transpiring shoot under
water containing a dye causes the dye to move into the xylem
both ways.
The dye must be pulled in so the xylem is under tension.

2400

Transpiration rate

Branch diameter

Variation in trunk diameter and transpiration rate over 24 hours

1200

2400

The diameter of the trunk decreases

as transpiration rate increases
Evaporation from the leaves draws
water from the xylem by osmosis,
water is pulled up the xylem creating
a tension.
The tension pulls the xylem vessel
walls in, so the trunk diameter gets
smaller
The trunk has a larger diameter
when there is less transpiration
This supports the cohesion tension
hypothesis but not root pressure.

Water movement across the leaf

cuticle
upper epidermis
palisade mesophyll

xylem
water is pulled along the
xylem
water moves into cells down
gradient by osmosis

spongy mesophyll
lower epidermis

water evaporates from the

spongy mesophyll cell
surface lowering cell

cuticle
stoma

lowest in the air

water vapour diffuses into the
air down gradient

The Cohesion Tension Hypothesis for Movement of Water up

the Xylem Vessels
Transpiration

Lower pressure/tension
at top of xylem

Water evaporates from the

spongy mesophyll cells and
diffuses into the atmosphere

Lower in the leaf cells

Water is pulled
up xylem vessels

Water moves from down the gradient

Water moves across root

from soil down gradient
Cohesive forces between water
molecules prevent water column
breaking

Via the apoplast and

symplast paths

Questions
1.

Explain, in terms of water potential how water moves from the

soil to the endodermis in a root
(5marks)

2.

Explain why, in summer, the diameter of a branch is smaller at

noon than at midnight.
(4 marks)

3. Explain the root pressure hypothesis for water movement in

the xylem.
(3 marks)
4. Give two limitations of this hypothesis,

click here to end

(2marks)

Click on the marks above to check

your answers

Answer Q1
Water is absorbed from the soil by the root hairs
By osmosis down the water potential gradient
The water potential is higher in the epidermal cells than in the
xylem in the root centre
Water moves from cell to cell through the cytoplasm down the
water potential gradient
Water also moves through the fibres of the cell wall and
intercellular spaces
But must go through the endodermal cells due to the Casparian
strip
Any 5 points

Back to question

Answer Q2

Temperature higher at noon so transpiration rate higher

More water evaporates from the surface of the mesophyll cells
Reducing the the water potential
Water moves from the xylem in the leaves into the cells
Creating a tension pulling the water up the xylem
This pulls the xylem vessels in so reducing the diameter of the
trunk

Any four points

Back to question

Answer Q3
Root pressure is a hydrostatic pressure pushing water up the
xylem
Mineral ions are actively transported out of the endodermal
cells into the xylem vessels
Lowering the water potential in the xylem
So water moves in from the surrounding cells by osmosis /
down the water potential gradient
Raising the hydrostatic pressure
Any three points

Back to question

Answer Q4
The pressure measured is not enough to get water to the top of
trees
Only find root pressure in spring
Relies on the use of the plants energy (ATP) for active transport
Any two

Back to question