Transportation in Plants

Transportation in plants refers to the movement of water and minerals from the roots to
different parts of the plants. It also includes the movement of the food prepared by the leaves
to the entire plant.
Food is transported through the phloem in the plants by the process of Translocation. In the
transportation process, the energy from ATP is utilized to create osmotic pressure that helps
in transporting food from higher concentration to lower concentration.
Water is transported in the plants with the help of conductive tissues and individual cells of
the vascular system. Water moves along the water potential gradient and enters the root hairs
and xylem. This is how the water is carried from the roots to the stem and other parts of the
plant.

Plants have two pathways of conducting tubes

Xylem that move and minerals from the roots to the leaves.
Xylem is the specialized vascular tissue in plants that transports water and nutrients from the
soil to the leaves.

• The flow of water is unidirectional and in the upward direction.

• It is responsible for replacing water lost through transpiration and photosynthesis.

• Xylem is a complex tissue that is composed of four basic types of cells (tracheid, vessel,
xylem fibre and xylem parenchyma).

• The only living component of xylem is xylem parenchyma.

• The water is absorbed by the root hair and undergoes cell to cell movement by osmosis
until it reaches the xylem.

• The water then travels through the plant to reach the leaves. This is called Ascent of sap

ASCENT OF SAP THROUGH XYLEM

• At the root, the cells in contact with the soil actively take up ions causing a concentration
difference between the roots and the soil. So water moves into the root to eliminate the
difference. The absorbed water at the root hair undergoes cell to cell movement by osmosis
until it reaches the xylem.

• This causes a continuous movement of water into the root xylem, creating a column of
water that is steadily pushed upwards and is called root pressure.
• The continuous supply of water to the xylem of the leaf replaces the water which is lost
through the stomata.

• The evaporation of water (Transpiration) from the stomata creates a suction effect/pull.

• This pulls the water up from the xylem cells of the roots. Transpiration helps in absorption
and upward movement of water and minerals, also called ascent of sap.

• Transpiration also helps in temperature regulation.

FACTORS AFFECTING ASCENT OF SAP

1. Root Pressure is the positive pressure created by the movement of water from the soil to
the roots, for upward movement of water. The effect of root pressure in the transport of water
is more important at night.

2. Transpiration pull is the pull of water as a result of tension created by transpiration in the
aerial parts of the plant. It is the major driving force of water movement upwards in a plant
during the day. High temperature, wind velocity and low humidity influence transpiration
pull.

TRANSPORT OF FOOD/ TRANSLOCATION THROUGH PHLOEM

• The transport of food/glucose and also amino acids and other substances from the leaves to
the different parts of the plant body is called TRANSLOCATION.
• Translocation takes place in the phloem delivering substance to the storage organs like
roots, fruits etc and to growing organs.
• Phloem is a complex tissue that is composed of four basic types of cell (sieve tubes,
companion cells, phloem fiber and phloem parenchyma). The only dead component of
phloem is phloem fibre.
• Translocation is bidirectional ie both in the upward and downward directions and takes
place in the sieve tubes with the help of the companion cells.
•Materials like Sucrose that is formed in the leaf is transferred into the phloem using energy
from ATP. This increases the osmotic pressure of the tissue.
• Water from the neighbouring xylem now moves into the sieve tube via the companion
cells. • The bulk pressure increases in the sieve tubes and the material moves in the phloem
to tissues which have less pressure.
• This allows the phloem to move materials according to the plants needs in both directions,
upwards and downwards.
The different means of transportation in plants are:

 Simple diffusion
  Facilitated diffusion
 Osmosis
 Active transport

TRANSPORTATION IN ANIMALS :

The system which pumps the fluid tissue to transport it throughout the body is called the
circulatory system. Human circulatory system comprises of heart, blood and a network of
blood vessels. The system transports oxygenated blood from lungs and the heart throughout
the body via arteries. The oxygenated blood is supplied to all the organs by arteries
branching out as capillaries. The deoxygenated blood is returned to veins through capillaries.
These veins carry deoxygenated blood to the heart and the lungs.

Components of blood vascular system of man: blood, blood vessels and heart

BLOOD: Blood is a fluid that moves through the vessels of a circulatory system. In humans,
it includes plasma (the liquid portion), blood cells (which come in both red and white
varieties), and cell fragments called platelets.
 Plasma is a pale yellowish fluid that contains albumin (the chief protein constituent),
fibrinogen (responsible, in part, for the clotting of blood) and globulins (including
antibodies). Plasma is obtained by separating the liquid portion of blood from the
cells. Plasma serves a variety of functions like maintaining a satisfactory blood pressure
and volume, serving as the medium for exchange of vital minerals, maintaining a proper
pH in the body. It also helps in transporting gases, nutrients and nitrogenous waste.
 Red blood cells in the blood are flattened disc like structures responsible of transporting
oxygen and carbon dioxide gases. Red blood cells consist of red iron-containing pigment
called as haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is a respiratory pigment that carries oxygen through
red blood cells. Oxygenated blood is carried to tissues.
 White blood cells are otherwise known as leukocytes. WBCs help the body in fighting
against the diseases.
 Platelets immediately come to the place of injury to release thromboplastin. They
aggregate in large amounts to form a plug on the injury preventing the blood loss.

Functions of blood
Blood plays a vital role in transporting many substances to all parts of the body.
 As the blood contains RBCs, it transports oxygen from lungs to cells and in turn carries
carbon dioxide in the opposite direction.
 Urea , the main excretory product formed in the liver is carried away by the blood to
kidneys.
 Blood transports soluble digested food materials which are absorbed in the small
intestine.
 Blood provides a medium of transport for the hormones secreted by different endocrine
glands to reach their target organs.
 Blood also transports water required by the cells to perform various biochemical
reactions.

Lymph
Lymph is a clear fluid sometimes white in colour comprises of white blood cells mainly
lymphocytes. Lymph is a colourless fluid that contains less protein than plasma, and lacks
RBC. These cells also attack bacteria entering the cells. Lymph also contains the fluid from
the intestine containing proteins and fats. Lymph helps in carrying absorbed fat molecules
from the intestine to different parts of the body. The composition of lymph varies with that
of blood plasma.

HEART : The heart is the central organ for pumping the blood throughout the body. Heart
is made up of strong cardiac muscles. It is located in the chest cavity with its lower part
pointing towards the left. Its size is that of the person’s fist. It pumps blood rich in carbon
dioxide to the lungs and oxygen-rich blood to other parts of the body.
 The heart consists of four chambers namely auricles and ventricles. The two upper
chambers of the heart are known as the auricles.
 The two lower chambers of the heart are the ventricles. Left and right parts of the heart
are separated by a muscular partition called as septum.
 Heart has number of valves which allow the blood to flow in one direction. These prevent
the oxygenated blood mixing with de-oxygenated blood.
 SA node/valve of the heart is located in the upper wall of the right atrium in the heart.
 AV node/valve is located in the bundles of tissues on the border between right atrium and
right ventricle of the heart.

Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries.
 The pressure can be systolic pressure during contraction and diastolic pressure at relaxed
state.
 The pressure exerted by blood against the wall of an artery during ventricular contraction
or systole is called systolic pressure, and that exerted during ventricular expansion or
diastole is called diastolic pressure.
 Normal blood pressure is 120/80mmHg. If the blood pressure is less than 100/50 then it is
termed to be low blood pressure or hypotension. If it exceeds 140/90, it is termed to be
high blood pressure or hypertension.
 An instrument called the sphygmomanometer is used to measure blood pressure. The
normal systolic pressure is about 120 mm of Hg, and diastolic pressure is 80 mm of Hg.
Blood capillaries are the structures which branch out form arteries on entering the
tissues. Blood capillaries supply pure blood to inner parts of the tissue. These capillaries in
turn collectively form a single vein from the tissue. The heart pumps deoxygenated blood
into the lungs through pulmonary arteries.
Pulmonary artery carries impure blood to the lungs from heart . Blood gets purified in the
lungs. Pulmonary veins carry pure oxygenated blood from lungs to the heart.

Types of circulation
The two types of circulation are single circulation and double circulation.
 Single circulation is the type of circulation in which blood passes through the heart only
once through the heart. For example, it is seen in fishes. Fish is a lower vertebrate with a
two chambered heart. Fish has a two chambered heart comprising of one atrium and one
ventricle. Gills help in purifying the deoxygenated blood. This two chambered heart
exhibits single mode of circulation. Impure blood is pumped to gills for oxygenation. This
oxygenated blood from gills is supplied directly to the body tissues without sending to the
heart.
 Incomplete double circulation is observed in amphibians and reptiles which have three-
chambered hearts with two atria and one ventricle.
 Double circulation is the type of circulation during which blood passes twice through the
heart. Higher vertebrates like birds and mammals exhibit double circulation.
Double circulation is a process during which blood passes twice through the heart during one
complete cycle. This type of circulation is found in birds, amphibians, reptiles, and
mammals.

Significance: The separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood allows a more efficient
supply of oxygen to the body cells. Blood is circulated to the body tissues through systemic
circulation and to the lungs through the pulmonary circulation.