📚 1.
Why plants need transport
Small organisms use diffusion alone.
Large organisms (like flowering plants) use transport systems for mass flow.
Plants have two transport systems:
o Xylem: water & mineral salts (up only).
o Phloem: sucrose & amino acids (up & down).
🌱 2. Xylem
✅ Structure:
Made of dead, hollow cells.
End walls broken → continuous tube.
Lignified walls → strength & waterproof.
✅ Functions:
Transport: water & minerals from roots → leaves.
Support: structural strength.
✅ Adaptations:
Hollow: low resistance.
Large cross-section: big volume.
Lignin: supports tall plants.
🍬 3. Phloem
✅ Structure:
Made of living cells.
✅ Function:
Transports sucrose & amino acids from source (leaves) to sink (roots, buds, fruits).
✅ Direction:
Two-way flow: up & down.
🌿 4. Root Hair Cells
✅ Function:
Absorb water (by osmosis) & minerals (by active transport).
Anchor plant.
✅ Adaptations:
Long extension → big surface area.
Many mitochondria → energy for active transport.
No chloroplasts → more space for absorption.
✅ How water enters:
Osmosis: soil → root hair → cortex → xylem.
Minerals: by active transport (needs energy).
💧 5. Transpiration
✅ Definition:
Loss of water vapour from leaves (evaporation at mesophyll → diffusion out through
stomata).
✅ Pathway:
1. Water leaves xylem → mesophyll cells.
2. Evaporates → air spaces.
3. Diffuses → out through stomata.
✅ Importance:
Cools plant.
Transports minerals.
Provides water for photosynthesis.
Maintains cell turgor.
✅ Factors increasing transpiration:
1. Temperature ↑ → rate ↑
2. Low humidity → rate ↑
3. High light → stomata open → rate ↑
4. Wind → removes moist air → rate ↑
✅ Too much transpiration?
Plant wilts if water loss > water uptake.
Cells lose turgor → droop.
✅ Cohesion & Adhesion:
Cohesion: water molecules stick together.
Adhesion: water sticks to xylem walls.
Together → transpiration pull → transpiration stream.
✅ Experiment: Use a potometer to measure water uptake.
🍭 6. Translocation
✅ Definition:
Movement of food substances (sucrose, amino acids) in phloem.
From source (where made) to sink (where used or stored).
✅ Active process:
Requires energy.
Water enters phloem → pressure → flow to sinks.
✅ Example:
Leaf → growing bud.
Tubers: store starch → converted to sucrose → moved to growing shoots.
✅ Aphids experiment:
Aphids feed on phloem sap → stylet used to study sugar movement.
✅ Key differences: Xylem vs Phloem
Aspect Xylem Phloem
What is transported Water & minerals Sucrose & amino acids
Direction One-way (up) Two-way
Cells alive? Dead Living
Process type Passive (transpiration pull) Active (needs energy)
📝 EXAM TIPS
✔️Define transpiration & translocation.
✔️Label root hair cell & explain its adaptations.
✔️Describe how water moves: soil → leaf → air.
✔️Use cohesion & adhesion in explanations.
✔️Compare xylem & phloem.
✔️Know factors affecting transpiration & potometer use.
✔️Be able to interpret practicals like dye/stain tracing.
IGCSE Transport in Plants – Exam Summary Notes
1. Why Plants Need Transport
Large plants cannot rely on diffusion alone.
Transport systems: Xylem & Phloem.
Mass flow: fluid moves one way in tubes.
2. Xylem
Structure: Dead, hollow tubes, lignified walls.
Functions: Conducts water & minerals UP only; provides support.
Adaptations: Broken end walls, no protoplasm, lignin, wide lumen.
3. Phloem
Structure: Living cells.
Function: Conducts sucrose & amino acids up & down.
Source to sink: leaves to roots, fruits, buds.
4. Root Hair Cells
Function: Absorb water (osmosis) & minerals (active transport).
Adaptations: Long extension → surface area; many mitochondria; no chloroplasts.
5. Water Uptake & Movement
Water potential gradient: soil → root hair → cortex → xylem.
Cohesion & adhesion: transpiration pull → continuous flow.
6. Transpiration
Loss of water vapour via stomata.
Pathway: Xylem → mesophyll → evaporates → diffuses out.
Importance: cooling, mineral transport, photosynthesis, turgidity.
Factors: ↑ temp, ↓ humidity, ↑ light, wind speed.
Excess: wilting.
7. Translocation
Movement of sugars & amino acids.
Active process: requires energy.
Source & sink change: e.g., tubers store then supply.
Aphid experiments trace flow.
8. Key Differences
Aspect Xylem Phloem
Transport Water, minerals Sucrose, amino acids
Direction Up only Up & down
Cells Dead Living
Process Passive Active
Mind Map (Concept)
Transport in Plants
o Xylem: structure, function, adaptations, water pathway
o Phloem: structure, function, translocation
o Root Hair Cell: function, adaptations
o Transpiration: definition, pathway, factors, importance, wilting
o Cohesion & Adhesion: transpiration stream
o Practical: Potometer, dye tracing, aphid experiment
o Key Comparisons
Flashcards
1️⃣ Q: What does xylem transport?
A: Water and mineral salts.
2️⃣ Q: Are xylem cells alive?
A: No, they are dead and hollow.
3️⃣ Q: What is translocation?
A: Movement of sucrose & amino acids from source to sink through phloem.
4️⃣ Q: How does water enter root hair cells?
A: By osmosis down a water potential gradient.
5️⃣ Q: Name 2 factors that increase transpiration rate.
A: High temperature, low humidity.
6️⃣ Q: What is the function of lignin in xylem?
A: Provides mechanical support & waterproofing.
7️⃣ Q: What do aphids help scientists study?
A: Sugar movement in phloem.
8️⃣ Q: What happens when transpiration is faster than uptake?
A: Plant wilts.
9️⃣ Q: What is the transpiration stream?
A: Continuous flow of water from roots to leaves in xylem.
🔟 Q: How is phloem transport different from xylem?
A: Phloem is bidirectional & active; xylem is unidirectional & passive.
Short Quiz (10 marks)
1. (1 mark) Define transpiration.
2. (1 mark) Name the process that moves minerals into root hair cells.
3. (1 mark) State one adaptation of root hair cells.
4. (1 mark) What is mass flow?
5. (1 mark) Name two factors that affect transpiration.
6. (2 marks) Explain cohesion and adhesion.
7. (1 mark) Which transport tissue is dead at maturity?
8. (2 marks) Compare xylem and phloem in terms of direction and living cells.
