Plant Form and Function
Learning Goal:
How are plants structurally adapted for survival?
Analyzing how water and
nutrients move through a
plant
(Ch 36 and Investigation 11)
Refer to
pg 202-207, 314-319 in Holtzclaw
Ch 36 in Campbell
Media resources
AP Inv 11
How and why do water/nutrients move through
a plant?
You must know: (Ch 36)
The role of passive transport, active transport, and
cotransport in plant transport.
 The role of diffusion, active transport, and bulk
flow in the movement of water and nutrients in
plants (with water potential calculations)
 How the transpiration cohesion-tension
mechanism explains water movement in plants.
 How pressure flow explains translocation.

How and why do water/nutrients move through
a plant?
You must know: (AP Investigation 11)
The function of stomata in gas exchange in
plants.
 The role of water potential and transpiration in
the movement of water from roots to leaves.
 The effects of various environmental conditions
on the rate of transpiration.
 How to identify xylem and phloem and relate
their structure to their function.

How does
water and
dissolved
nutrients
get from
the roots
to the
leaves in
these tall
trees?
How does
water and
dissolved
nutrients
get from
the roots
to the
leaves in
these tall
trees?
Transpiration
How does
sugar get
from the
leaves to
the roots
in plants
for winter
storage?
How does
sugar get
from the
leaves to
the roots
in plants
for winter
storage?
Translocation
Transpiration
Try This!
What is the similarity between xylem and
phloem tissue?
 What is the difference between xylem and
phloem tissue?

Types of Tissue
Dermal tissue – outer protective covering
 Vascular tissue – carries out
transportation of materials between roots
and shoots

◦ Xylem – transports water and dissolved
minerals up from roots into the shoots
◦ Phloem – transports sugars from leaves to
other parts of plant (sites of growth)

Ground tissue – not dermal or vascular
Xylem Cells – water conducting cells
Phloem Cells – sugar conductive cells
Try This!

Explain the difference between
passive transport and active transport.
Plasmolysis an
effect of osmosis,
which is an
example of passive
transport
Transport from Roots to Shoots

Vocabulary to listen for:
◦
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xylem
xylem sap
mycorrhizae
inorganic ions
apoplastic route
symplastic route
plasmodesmata
casparian strip
endodermis cells
Try This: Explain the transport of water and
nutrients from roots to shoots
Transport up shoots to leaves:
Transpiration through Xylem

Vocabulary to listen for:
◦
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
transpiration
hydrogen bonds
cohesion
adhesion
solute
stomata
guard cells
Question to listen for:
◦ How do (C3) plants prevent excessive water loss
in hot, dry environment?
Stomata! Open and Closed
Stomata! Open and Closed
Try This: Explain the transport of water and
nutrients up shoots to leaves
Now…
Bioflix!
 Free Response Practice!

How and why does sugar move
through a plant?
Phloem Translocation in Summer
 Phloem Translocation in Spring


Vocabulary to listen
for:
◦
◦
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◦
◦
◦
phloem
phloem sap
tranlocation
sugar source
sugar sink
tap root
◦
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sieve-tube elements
osmosis
water pressure
bulk flow
active transport
starch
Try This: Explain the transport of sugar from sugar
source to sugar sink in spring and late summer
Try This!

Remember the equation for water
potential?
=
S
+
P
Explain the equation
 If the
in cell A is greater than the
in cell B, which way will water move?

Try This!

Remember the equation for water
Solute Potential
potential?
(lower [solute]
means higher
solute potential)
Water Potential
=
S
+
Pressure Potential
P (the more water, the
higher the pressure
potential exerted by
the cell wall)
Explain the equation
 If the
in cell A is greater than the
in cell B, which way will water move?
Water moves from high water potential to low
water potential, so from cell A to cell B

Try This!

Predict the effect on water potential
of:
◦ Addition of solutes to distilled water
◦ Loss of turgor pressure within a plant leaf
=
S
+
P
Try This!

Predict the effect on water potential
of:
◦ Addition of solutes to distilled water Lower
◦ Loss of turgor pressure within a plant leaf
Higher
=
S
+
P
Important Vocab:

Bulk Flow: the movement of water
through a plant from regions of high
pressure to regions of low pressure.
◦ Water and solute move through both xylem
and phloem tissue by way of bulk flow
Try These Questions:

Transpiration has been described as
a “necessary evil.” Explain the costs
and benefits of transpiration to a
plant.