ABSORPTION BY ROOTS

Answer the following—

1). Functions of roots.
 Absorb water and mineral nutrients from soil and
• Conduct them into the stem and supply it to different parts of plant such as leaves,
flowers, fruits etc.
2). Need of water for plants
• Photosynthesis – as raw material in the synthesis of glucose.
• Transpiration- evaporated as watervapour for cooling the plant body in hot weather
and for producing suction force for ascent of sap.
• Transportation: - substances (mineral salts) are transported in water solution from
roots upward into the shoot or from leaves (sugar, etc) to the other plant parts.
• Mechanical stiffness – turgidity (fully distended condition) which is necessary for
the stiffness of plant tissues.
3). Need of nutrients for plants
• These becomes constituents for making cell and cell organelles.
• These are also used in synthesis of variety of compounds or
enzymes within the cell.
4). Specialty of root hairs
a. Huge surface area
Thick bunch of rootlets with the root hairs forms a large surface area for
absorption of water. Eg—Balsam

b. Cell sap at higher concentration.

Root hairs contains large vacuoles filled with cell sap. Because of some salts
dissolved they have high concentration than that of surrounding soil water and thus
helps in drawing water into the cells through osmosis
c. Root hairs have thin walls:
Cell wall is thin and freely permeable-allows movement of water and dissolved
substances in and out of the cell freely.
Cell membrane is thin and semipermeable-it allows water molecules to pass through
but not the larger molecules of dissolved salts.
5) Name the factors that contribute to ascent of sap.
Root pressure , capillarity, transpirational pull, adhesion, imbibition
6) Definitions
a. Imbibition--It is defined as the phenomenon by which the living or dead plant
cells absorb water by surface attraction.
b. Diffusion: It is defined as the free movement of molecules of a substance (solute,
solvent, gas, liquid) from the region of their higher concentration to the region of their
lower concentration when the two are in direct contact.
c. Osmosis-- It is defined as the movement of water molecules from their region of
higher concentration (dilute solution) to their region of lower concentration
(concentrated solution) through a semi permeable membrane.
d. Endosmosis: It is defined as the inward diffusion of water through a semi-
permeable membrane when the surrounding solution is less concentrated.
e. Exosmosis: It is the outward diffusion of water through a semi-permeable
membrane when the surrounding solution is more concentrated.
f. Osmotic pressure: It is the minimum pressure that must be exerted to prevent the
passage of the pure solvent into the solution when the two are separated by a semi-
permeable membrane.
Or
Osmotic pressure of a solution is a measure of its tendency to take in water by
osmosis.
g. Tonicity: Relative concentration of the solutions determine the direction and
extent of diffusion is called tonicity.
Based on it, the solution can be of three types:
• ISOTONIC – (ISO-SAME TONUS-TENSION CONCENTRATION)
The relative concentration of water molecules and the solute on either side of the cell
membrane is the same.
In such a solution, there is NO NET movement of water molecules. (NO osmosis)
• HYPOTONIC – (HYPO-LOWER)
Here, the solution outside the cell has a lower solute concentration than the fluids
inside the cell. As a result, the water molecules from outside will move into the cell.
(ENDOSMOSIS)
• HYPERTONIC- (HYPER- HIGHER)
The solution outside the cell has a higher solute concentration than the fluids inside
the cell. So, water molecules from the cell will move out (EXOSMOSIS).
h. Active transport: It is the passage of a mineral (salt or ion) from its lower
concentration to higher concentration using energy from the cell, through the living
cell membrane.
i. Turgid condition : When a cell reaches a state where it cannot accommodate any
more water ie. it is fully distended it is called TURGID and the condition is called
turgidity. In turgid condition, the wall is stretched due to pressure from within.

j. Turgor pressure: The pressure of the cell contents on the cell wall is called Turgor
pressure.
k. Wall pressure: the pressure exerted by the cell wall on the cell contents is called
wall pressure.
l. Root pressure: It is the pressure developed in the roots due to continuous inflow
of water brought about due to the alternate turgidity and flaccidity of the cells of the
cortex and the root hair cell, which helps in pushing the plant sap upwards through
the xylem.
m. Guttation: Loss of excessive water as tiny droplets along the margins or tips of
the leaves especially in early mornings.
n. Girdling: Removing of a ring of outer phloem for experimental purposes.
o. Turgidity: it is the state of a cell when the wall is rigid and stretched by an
increase in the volume of vacuoles due to the absorption of water.
p. Plasmolysis: is the contraction of cytoplasm from the cell wall caused due to the
withdrawal of water when placed in a strong (hypertonic) solution.
q. Flaccidity: is the condition in which the cell content is shrunken the cell is no
more tight. The cell is then to be flaccid.
r. Bleeding: Loss of water through a cut stem (due to an injury) is called bleeding.

7) Give reason---
a. Salting of pickles is a method to kill the bacteria by plasmolysis.
If we add some common salt to pickles makes the pickle hypertonic and the bacteria
hypotonic. This causes exosmosis from the bacteria . The bacteria are plasmolysed,
finally leading them to death. It acts as a preservative.

b. Excess sugar is added in jellies and jams.

If we add excess sugar in jellies and jams it makes the jellies and jams hypertonic
and the bacteria hypotonic. This causes exosmosis from the bacteria. The bacteria
are plasmolysed, finally leading them to death. It acts as a preservative.

c. Weeds on the playground can be killed by sprinkling excess salts around

their base.
If we sprinkle some common salt on weeds growing on a playground makes the soil
hypertonic and the roots hypotonic. This causes exosmosis from the weeds. The
weeds are plasmolysed, finally leading them to death. Hence, after sprinkling some
common salt around their base it is killed at the spot.
d. Excessive application of fertilisers in the fields may damage the roots and
diminish yield.
Excessive application of fertilisers in the fields makes the soil hypertonic and the
roots hypotonic. This causes exosmosis from the roots of the plants. The plants are
plasmolysed, finally leading them to death.

e. If you uproot a plant from the soil, its leaves soon wilt.
This is because the turgidity of the leaf cells keeps the leaf straight and extended. If
a plant is uprooted, the leaves continue losing water by transpiration, but there is no
chance for absorbing water absorbed through the roots. This does not allow the
compensation for the loss of water by transpiration; hence the leaves of the uprooted
plant wilt soon.

f. It is better to transplant seedlings in a flower-bed in the evening and not in

the morning.
It is better to transplant seedlings in a flower-bed in the evening and not in the
morning because in the morning rate of transpiration is more than the rate of
absorption of water by the roots and thus leading to the wilting of the leaves and
finally its death due to excessive transpiration.

g. A plant cell when kept in a hypertonic salt solution for about 30 minutes
turns flaccid.
If this plant cell is kept in a hypertonic solution for 30 minutes, it will lose its
distended appearance as the plant is comparatively having hypotonic solution. As a
result exosmosis from the roots takes place, the cytoplasm will shrink and the
plasma membrane will withdraw from the cell wall called as plasmolysis and the cells
in this state are said to be limp or flaccid.

h. Potato cubes when placed in water become firm and increase in size.
Potato cubes when placed in water become firm and increase in size because cubes
contain an excess of salts and sugars (hypertonic solution) as compared to the water
(hypotonic solution) in which the cubes are placed. Hence, due to endosmosis, water
from the surrounding enters the potato cubes making them firm and increasing their
size.

i.If the phloem of a twig is removed keeping the xylem intact, the leaves of a
twig remain turgid.
The leaves of the twig remain turgid since its xylem is intact and xylem is responsible
for water conduction in plants.

j. Concentration of mineral nutrient elements is higher inside the root-hairs

than in the surrounding soil. How do roots take them in from the soil?
because the absorption of mineral elements from the soil involves active transport by
the cells. Minerals may also be absorbed as ions rather than as salts. Minerals are
dissolved in water. When water is getting absorbed from the soil by the roots,
dissolved minerals are also absorbed by using ATP energy through a living cell
membrane.

k. Explain how soaked seeds swell up and burst their seed coats.
The seeds swell up and burst their seed coats when soaked in water due to
imbibition. Seed coats are made up of cellulose which is hydrophilic. They imbibe
water by surface attraction and swell up and later burst their seed coat.

l. Leaves of the sensitive plant wilt and droop down on a slight touch. What
mechanism brings about this change?
The rapid drooping of the leaves of the sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) is an
outstanding example of turgor movement. If one of the leaves is touched, even
lightly, the leaflets fold up and within 2 to 3 seconds, the entire leaf droops. If the leaf
is touched somewhat strongly, the wave of folding and drooping spreads from the
stimulated leaf to all neighboring leaves. Slowly, the leaves recover and again stand
erect. In this plant, the stimulus of touch leads to loss of turgor at the base of petioles
called a pulvinus.

m. Wooden doors swell up during the rainy season.

The wooden doors swell up during the rainy season due to imbibition. The cell wall of
wooden doors are made up of cellulose which is hydrophilic. They imbibe moisture
from the atmosphere by surface attraction and swell up.

n. Wilting of leaves is noticed when a plant is exposed to hot afternoon sun

and in the evening leaves again stand out.
Wilting of leaves is noticed when a plant is exposed to hot afternoon sun, because
amount of water lost due to transpiration is more than the water absorbed through
the roots.
In the evening when transpiration is reduced, water absorbed exceeds water lost due
to transpiration, so turgidity of the leaf is restored and so the leaves stand out.

o. Capillarity contributes to ascent of sap.

The narrow diameter of the xylem vessels causes the water from a lower level to rise
to fill up the vacuum created by the loss of water due to transpiration from the
leaves. Narrower the diameter, greater will be the height of water rising in it exerting
a force called capillary force.