Transport systems in plants: xylem and transpiration
I can explain how water and mineral ions are transported through xylem by transpiration.
- Year 11
- AQA
Transport systems in plants: xylem and transpiration
I can explain how water and mineral ions are transported through xylem by transpiration.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Water and mineral ions are transported from the roots, up the stem, to the leaves, in vessels made of xylem.
- Xylem is made of dead, empty cells with no cytoplasm, that form a tube with a tough wall made of lignin.
- Water is continually lost from the surface of a plant when water molecules diffuse into the air through open stomata.
- Water is pulled up through xylem tubes to replace the water lost through open stomata; this process is transpiration.
- The water that is pulled through xylem tubes has mineral ions dissolved in it, including nitrate ions.
Keywords
Mineral ions - substances that are essential for healthy plant growth, including nitrates and magnesium
Xylem - specialised vessels in plants that transport water and mineral ions
Stomata - pores in the leaf through which water, oxygen and carbon dioxide can diffuse
Transpiration - the loss of water from a plant’s leaves
Transpiration stream - the continuous movement of water from the roots to the leaves through the xylem
Common misconception
If students fail to understand that water only enters the plant at the roots, and not through the leaves, then the process of transpiration will be very muddled and confused.
The lesson reinforces the pathway that water takes through the plant, clearly stating that water enters at the roots, and showing several times how it moves up through xylem.
Equipment
Optional: dyed celery stems.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which part of a plant absorbs water from the surroundings?
Q2.Producers use water in a process called to make glucose, which requires energy from light.
Q3.Which gas is a reactant in photosynthesis?
Q4.Match each structure to its correct function.
Q5.How do plants absorb nitrate ions from the soil?
Q6.Plants roots absorb magnesium ions from the soil. Why do plants need magnesium?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the name of the part of the plant that has hair cells to absorb water?
Q2.Match each structure to its correct role.
Q3.Stomata are surrounded by two cells that open and close the pore.
Q4.Which of the descriptions does not apply to xylem?
Q5.Match each term to its correct meaning.
Q6.In which direction are water and dissolved mineral ions moved through the xylem?
