St. Peter’s School, Mazagaon, Mumbai- 400010.
Subject: Biology
Std: X
Topic: Absorption by roots
➢ Instructions:
• Kindly down the videos from the link provided below and watch the
videos carefully.
• Read the study material given below carefully.
• Copy the notes in your note book.
• Diagram based questions to be done along with the diagram.
Link for the videos:
https://youtu.be/Eer3VuC4M8U : characteristics of root
https://youtu.be/PRi6uHDKeW4 : diffusion, osmosis and active
transport
Question answers:
Q1) What are the characteristics of roots for absorbing water from the soil?
Ans. a) The roots have root hairs and rootlets which increases the surface
area of absorption of water.
b) Root hairs containing the solution at a concentration higher than that of
the surrounding soil water. So that water can enter the root hair cell.
c) Root hairs having thin walls that allows free movement of water and
dissolved substances in and out of the cells.
Q2) Explain the following terms:
a) Imbitition: Imbibition is the phenomenon by which the living or dead plant
cells absorb water by surface attraction.
b) Diffusion: Diffusion is the free movement of molecules of a substance
from the region of their higher concentration to the region of their lower
concentration when the two are in a direct contact.
c) Osmosis: Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from their
region of higher concentration to their region of lower concentration
through a semi permeable membrane.
d) Active transport: Active transport is the passage of a substance from
its lower concentration to higher concentration through a living cell
membrane using energy from the cell.
e) Osmotic pressure: Osmotic pressure of a solution is a measure of its
tendency to take in water by osmosis.
f) Turgor pressure: The pressure of the cell content on the cell wall
is called turgor pressure.
g) Wall pressure: The pressure exerted by the cell wall on the content is called
wall pressure
h) Bleeding: loss of water (cell sap) through a cut stem is called bleeding.
i) Guttation: Guttation is the loss of water as droplets along the margins of
leaves (through hydathodes) is called guttation.
j) Capillary Force: Xylem vessels acts as fine capillary tubes wherein water
from lower-level rise to fill up the vacuum created by the loss water due to
transpiration from the leaves.
k) Transpiration pull: As the water is lost from the leaf surface by
transpiration, more water molecules are pulled up due to cohesion
(attraction between the molecules of water)
l) Adhesion: Attraction between the water molecules and the walls of the xylem
vessels.
Q3. Give biological reason for the following:
a) Marine fishes burst when thrown under tap water.
Ans. There is an osmotic balance maintained between the cells of marine
fish and salty water of the sea. When such a fish is thrown under tap water,
the water starts entering into the body of the fish which swells and burst.
b) Potato cubes become firm and increase in size when placed in water.
Ans. Potato cubes absorb water by the process of osmosis and the cell
membrane act as a semipermeable membrane. So, the cells become
turgid and so they are firm.
c) Plants growing in fertilized soil are often found to wilt if the soil is not
adequately watered.
Ans. Fertilizers lead to the soil becoming hypertonic leading to exosmosis
taking place and the cells losing their water content as a result the cells
become flaccid and the plant
wilts.
d) Gargle with saline water in case of throat infection.
Ans. The salt solution (saline water) is hypertonic and when we gargle
with it, comes in contact of infection causing bacteria in the throat. The
water present in the bacteria comes out causing plasmolysis and they get
killed giving us relief from infection.
Q4. Difference between the following:
i) Semipermeable membrane and freely permeable membrane.
Semipermeable membrane Freely permeable
membrane
1. A semipermeable membrane 1.A freely permeable membrane
allows the passage of allows all the substances to
selective molecules. pass through it.
ii) Endosmosis and Exosmosis
Endosmosis Exosmosis
1. Endosmosis is the inward 1. Exosmosis is the outward
diffusion of water through a diffusion of water through a
semipermeable membrane. semipermeable membrane
2. Endosmosis tends to swell up 2. Exosmosis tends to cause
the cell. shrinkage of the cell.
Diagram based question:
Q1) The diagram given below represents a layer of epidermal cells
showing a fully grown root hair. Study the diagram and answer the
questions that follows.
i) Name the parts labelled A, B, C and D.
Ans. A – cell wall C- Vacuole
B – Cell membrane D – Nucleus
ii) The root hair cells is in a turgid state. Name and explain the process.
Ans. The process is osmosis.
Osmosis: Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from their
region of higher concentration to their region of lower concentration
through a semi permeable membrane.
iii) Mention one difference between the parts A and B.
Ans:
Cell wall Cell membrane
It is a freely permeable It is a semi permeable
membrane and allows any membrane and allows
substance to pass through it. selective molecules to enter.
iv) Draw a diagram of the root hair cell as it would appear when a
concentrated solution of fertilizers is added near it.
Q2) The diagram given below represents an experimental setup to
demonstrate a certain process. Study the same and answer the questions that
follows.
i) Name the process being studied.
Ans: Osmosis
ii) Explain the process.
Ans: Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from their region of
higher concentration to their region of lower concentration through a semi
permeable membrane.
iii) What change would you observe in the thistle funnel containing sugar
solution after 10 minutes?
Ans: after about 10 minutes, the sugar solution in the thistle funnel will rise.
iv) Give one example of a semi- permeable membrane.
Ans: Cellophane paper & egg membrane
v) Is sugar solution hypotonic or hypertonic?
Ans. Sugar solution is hypertonic.
vi) Name the part of the plant cell which is represented by
the sugar solution.
Ans. Cell sap of the root hair.
Q3) Study the diagram given below and answer the questions that follows:
i) Give the technical terms of the solution used in beakers 1,2 and 3.
Ans. 1- Hypotonic solution
2 – Hypertonic solution
3 – Isotonic solution
ii) In beaker 3 the size of the potato cube remains the same. Explain the
reason in brief.
Ans. In beaker 3 there is no difference in concentration of cell sap. So there
is no movement of water molecules .
iii) Write the specific feature of the cell sap of root hairs which
helps in absorption of water.
Ans. Concentration of the cell sap.
iv) What is osmosis?
Ans. Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from their region
of higher concentration to their region of lower concentration through a
semi permeable membrane.
v) How does a cell wall and a cell membrane differ in their permeability?
Ans. Cell wall – freely permeable
Cell membrane – selectively permeable
Q3. A leaf cell of a water plant was placed in a liquid other than pond
water. After sometimes, it assumed a shape as shown below:
i) Give the term for the state of the cell it has acquired.
Ans. Plasmolysed state
ii) Comment on the tonicity of the liquid surrounding the cell.
Ans. Hypertonic solution
iii) Redraw the diagram of the cell if it is soon placed in ordinary water after
some time.
Q4) Study the diagram given below and answer the questions that follows:
i) Name the process being studied in the above experiment.
Ans The process of water absorption by plant roots through osmosis is being
studied.
ii) Why is oil placed over water?
Ans. The surface of water was covered with oil to prevent any loss of water by
evaporation.
iii) What do we observe with regards to the level of water when this set up is
placed in (1) bright sunlight (2) humid conditions (3) windy day?
Ans: Roots absorb water and hence, the level of water in setup falls. Since the
surface of water was covered with oil, there will be no effect of factors such as
bright sunlight, humid conditions, and windy day on the given set up. Hence, the
level of water.
iv) Mention three adaptations found in plants to foster the process mentioned in
(i) above.
Ans. Adaptations in plants to foster the process the process of absorption of water
by roots:
i. Large surface area provided by rootlets and root hairs.
ii. Root hairs containing cell sap at a higher concentration than that of the
surrounding water.
iii. Root hairs with thin wall.
Q5) The diagram given below represents the result of an experiment conducted
on freshly taken shoots of a green herbaceous plant. The lower ends dip in
water. Study the diagram and answer the questions that follows.
i) What is the aim of the experiment?
Ans. Conduction of water through xylem.
ii) Some parts of the stem in both the shoots have been removed. Name
the conducting tissue in shoot A and in shoot B, that have been
removed.
Ans. A- Phloem, B- Xylem
iii) What is the result of this experiment?
Ans. The leaves in the first twig remain turgid but those in the second twig
get wilted and droop down. This proves that water is conducted upward in a plant
through xylem vessels.
Ans a. To demonstrate the role of xylem and phloem in flowering plants.
Ans b. In shoot A Phloem tissue has been removed. In shoot B central xylem
tissue has been removed.
Ans c. Plant A gets water and minerals and synthesizes its food and remains
healthy. Plant B due to lack of xylem does not get its supply of water and
minerals. The leaves are seen drooping and will dry.
Q1. The figure given below is a diagrammatic representation of a part of the
cross – section of the root in the root hair zone. Study the same and then answer
the questions that follows:
a. Name the parts indicated by guidelines ‘1’ to ‘5’.
b. Is the root hair cell unicellular or multicellular?
c. Draw a labelled diagram of the root hair cell as it would appear if some
fertilizer is added to the soil close to it.
d. Name the process responsible for the entry of water molecules from the
soil into A1 and then A2.
e. What pressure is responsible for the movement of water in the direction
indicated by arrows?
f. How is the pressure set-up?
Q3) Draw a neat and labelled diagram of a single full grown root hair.
