Transport in plants

In this chapter, you will learn to:

• Summarize the transport requirements of plants and understand that certain mineral ions and organic substances are transported dissolved in water.

• Draw, label, and describe the general structure of herbaceous dicotyledonous stems, roots, and leaves as observed under a light microscope.

• Illustrate the structure of transport tissues, xylem and phloem, using the high-power lens of a light microscope.

• Explain the process of transpiration in plants.

• Describe the adaptations of xerophytic leaves with the help of annotated diagrams.

• Explain how water moves across a leaf via the apoplast and symplast pathways.

• Connect the structure of xylem to its functional role.

• Describe how water travels upward through the xylem from roots to leaves, including the mechanisms of cohesion, tension, and adhesion.