Plant Transportation and Adaptations Quiz

Plant Transportation and Adaptations

• Plants require water and minerals for efficient nutrient transport and survival.
• Water enters root hair cells through osmosis, a passive transport process driven by concentration gradients.
• Root hairs possess adaptations such as thin walls and a large surface area, enhancing their ability to absorb water effectively.

Cohesion-Tension Model

• The cohesion-tension model, explaining water movement in plants, was developed by scientists Dixon and Joly.
• This model illustrates how water molecules stick together (cohesion) and how they adhere to other surfaces, facilitating upward movement through plant tissues.

Transpiration and Stomata Function

• Transpiration refers to the loss of water vapor from the aerial parts of a plant, mainly through stomata.
• Stomata are small openings on plant surfaces controlled by guard cells, which regulate their opening and closing to balance water loss and gas exchange.
• Stomata close under high carbon dioxide concentrations and during drought conditions to conserve water.
• Stomata open when carbon dioxide levels drop, allowing for gas exchange and photosynthesis.

Gas Exchange Process

• Carbon dioxide enters stomata by diffusion, a process where molecules move from an area of higher concentration to one of lower concentration.

Modified Plant Structures

• Some plants have specialized structures for food storage:
  • Carrots exemplify roots modified for storing nutrients.
  • Potatoes serve as stems modified for food storage.
  • Onions illustrate leaves modified to store energy.