Tag: transport in vascular plants

 For plants to take up mineral ions, ions are moved into root hairs, where they are in a higher concentration than in the dilute solutions in the soil. Active transport (pumps) then occurs across the root so that the plant takes in the ions it needs from the soil around it. The root hair cells have carrier molecules on their surface that pick up the minerals and move them into the cell against the concentration gradient.

(A) The upward flow of the water is seen in the roots of the plant.

Plants absorb their mineral salt supply from the soil through the roots from the zones of elongation and root hair. The minerals are absorbed as ions which are accumulated by the plants against their concentration in the soil.

Solar heat causes the evaporation of water from the surface of the leaves in form of water vapour through small openings called stomata. This loss is known as transpiration. Due to the loss of water, water stress condition is created that forces the upward movement of water from the soil towards the shoot system. This water is then again distributed to various plant parts.