Summary of Water Transport In Plants

00:00:00 - 00:00:00

This YouTube video explains how water and minerals are transported up to the leaves of a plant through evaporation. Water diffuses from inside the leaf to the outside air through pores, and this process creates a tension that pulls water molecules up the plant. Finally, water and minerals enter the roots where they are absorbed and then pulled up to the leaves.

• 00:00:00 Trees transport water and minerals to their highest leaves by losing water through evaporation. Water diffuses from inside a leaf to the outside air through pores, and inside a leaf, water evaporates constantly from the surfaces of surrounding cells. This process creates a tension from leaf cells through the xylem to the roots, which pulls water molecules up the plant. Finally, water and minerals enter through the roots via routes that are highly branched, creating a lot of area for absorption. Root hairs near each root tip increase the surface area for water and minerals to follow. In one path, they travel in the cytoplasm, which is connected between cells. In the other path, they travel within cell walls. However, they encounter a waxy barrier that blocks entry to the xylem, and water and minerals must cross a plasma membrane in order to continue the journey. After moving into this eylem, water and minerals are pulled up to the leaves where they evaporate and exit through pores.