CHAPTER 1
TRANSPORT OF FOOD AND MINERALS IN PLANTS
1. Select the correct option:
1. The pressure exerted in the root due to continuous inflow of water is
called:
a. Root pressure
2. Root hairs absorb water from the soil by the process of:
a. Osmosis
3.omit
4. The downward movement of food in plants takes place through the:
b. Phloem
5. The upward movement of water and minerals to the leaves is called:
a. Ascent of sap
II. FILL IN THE BLANKS:
1. Xylem transports water and dissolved minerals upwards from the roots.
2. Food moves downwards through the phloem into the roots.
3. Water moves from the soil into roots hairs by osmosis.
4. Water is transported through the xylem from roots to leaves.
5. Absorption of water helps in the intake of minerals from the soil.
III. State if the following statements are true or false:
1. Oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged directly within the
environment. False
Ans: Oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged directly within the cells.
2. The water is conducted upward by phloem. False
Ans: The water is conducted upward by xylem.
3. The phloem is composed of elements called vessels and tracheids. False
Ans: The xylem is composed of elements called vessels and tracheids.
4. Phloem contains the cytoplasm in sieve tubes. True
5. Soil water moves into the root hairs by the simple process of
transpiration. False
Ans: Soil water moves into the root hairs by the simple process of Osmosis.
IV.MATCH THE FOLLOWING:
1. Leaves b) Principal organ of transpiration
2. Vessel c) Element of xylem
3. Phloem a) Transfers food from the leaves to the other plant
parts
4. Xylem e) Transports water from the roots to aerial parts of
the plant
5. Cell sap d) Liquid inside the vacuole of the plant cell.
V. CHOOSE THE ODD ONE OUT AND GIVE SCIENTIFIC REASONS:
1. Xylem, Vessel, Tracheids , Sieve tubes.
Reason: Rest all are related to transport of water.
2. Osmosis, Diffusion, Passive transport, Active transport
Reason: Rest all require no energy for transport.
3. Xylem, Sieve tube, Sieve plate, Companion cell
Reason: Rest are part of phloem.
4. Temperature, Relative humidity, Cooling effect, Wind.
Reason: Rest are related to factors affecting transpiration.
UNDERSTANDING IDEAS:
I. GIVE ONE WORD FOR THE FOLLOWING:
1. Tissues of vascular bundle responsible for conduction of water and
minerals to the leaves of a plant.
Ans: Xylem
2. A process of transportation of food within the plant.
Ans: Translocation
3. A process of loss of water from the aerial parts of the plant.
Ans: Transpiration
4. The upward conduction of sap from the roots to the other parts of the
plants.
Ans: Ascent of sap
5. The movement of water molecules from the region of its higher
concentration to the region of its lower concentration through a semi-
permeable membrane.
Ans: Osmosis
II.ANSWER THE FOLLWING QUESTIONS IN SHORT.
1. What is the need of transport of water in plants?
Ans: Plants need to take up water and mineral and transport them to the
leaves for the process of photosynthesis and transpiration, so as a whole it
is required for the survival of the plant.
2. What is transpiration?
Ans: The process of loss of water in the form of water vapour through the
leaves and other aerial parts of the plants is called as transpiration.
3. Name the factors that affect transpiration in plants.
Ans: Temperature, Relative humidity, Wind, Light, Available soil water.
4. Define the term osmosis.
Ans: The movement of water molecules from a region of higher
concentration to the region of lower concentration through a semi-
permeable membrane is called osmosis.
5. What is the function of phloem tissues in plants?
Ans: Phloem tissue is transport system in plants that carries food or
sucrose, a type of sugar from the leaves to the other plant parts.
6. Name the minerals which constitute the macronutrients of plants.
Ans: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K) and Calcium (Ca).
III.ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN DETAILS.
1. How is food translocated in plants?
Ans: a. Food is prepared in the leaves by the process of photosynthesis and
the end product of the process is sucrose.
b. Phloem consists of sieve tube and companion cells which transport
sucrose and amino acids away from the leaf bi-directionally.
c. Food moves downward through the phloem and enters the cortex where
simple sugars are converted to starch and are stored.
2. What are the factors that affect the absorption of water?
Ans: a. Soil temperature- Soil temperature is a major factor for the
absorption of water by the roots. The optimum temperature range for
water absorption is 200C to 300C. An increase or decrease in the
temperature cause a decrease in the rate of absorption of water.
b. Concentration of soil solution: The cell sap of root hair cells is
concentrated than that of the surrounding soil water. If the concentration
of the soil is higher then water absorption is inhibited.
c. Aeration of soil: Roots in well aerated soil absorb more water than those
that go deep into the soil.
3. State the significance of transpiration in plants.
Ans: a. Cooling effect: As a result of transpiration in hot summers, plants
cool themselves as considerable amount of latent heat is lost to convert
water into vapour.
b. Intake of minerals: The greater the transpiration the greater is the rate of
absorption of water from the soil. Absorption of water helps in intake
dissolved minerals from the soil.
c. Elimination of excess water: Roots of plants continuously absorb water
from the soil. Only 1% of water is used by the plants for photosynthesis,
while the excess water is lost by transpiration.
4. What is osmosis? How it is different from diffusion?
Ans: The movement of water molecules from the region of higher
concentration to the region of the lower concentration through a semi-
permeable membrane is called osmosis.
The use of semi-permeable membrane is done in osmosis and it happens
only in liquids unlike diffusion.
5. What is meant by active transport of minerals in plants?
Ans: The movement of mineral molecules from a lower concentration to a
higher concentration by utilising energy is called active transport.
The root hairs absorb minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorous and
potassium along with water from the soil.
The concentration minerals is more inside the root hairs than that in the
soil water still the root hair use active transport to absorb mineral
molecules by using energy.
6. Why the macronutrients and micronutrients are essential for plants? List
out their names, functions and the diseases caused by the deficiency of
them.
Ans: Plants need some minerals for their growth and development.
MACRONUTRIENTS
NUTRIENTS FUNCTIONS DEFICIENCY DISEASES
Nitrogen Helps in constitution of Yellowing of leaves
proteins, chlorophyll
and protoplasm of
plant cells.
Phosphorous Helps in the growth of Late flowering and
roots and formation of premature leaf fall.
cell membrane.
Potassium Helps in photosynthesis Stops the formation of
and in opening and starch, stem becomes
closing of stomata. slender.
Calcium Regulates opening and Curling of young leaves,
closing of stomata, stunt growth and
participates in other damaged fruits.
nutrient intake
MICRONUTRIENTS
Iron Essential for the Yellow or pale-green
formation of leaves
chlorophyll and
respiration of plants.
Magnesium Helps in photosynthesis Yellowing of leaves
and respiration of with stunted growth of
plants the plant.
Zinc Helps in protein Yellow leaves and
synthesis in the plant stunted growth.
body
IV.DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING:
1. Osmosis and diffusion
Ans:
DIFFUSION OSMOSIS
Diffusion can occur in any medium Osmosis can occur only in a liquid
i.e. solid, liquid or gas. medium.
2. Ascent of sap and root pressure
Ans:
ASCENT OF SAP ROOT PRESSURE
The process of upward conduction Due to the continuous inflow of
of cell sap from the roots to other water, a pressure develops in the
parts of the plant against gravity is roots which helps the upward
called ascent of sap. movement of plant sap and is called
root pressure.
3. Macronutrients and micronutrients
Ans:
MACRONUTRIENTS MICRONUTRIENTS
Macronutrients are required in large Micronutrients are required in small
quantities. e.g. N,P,K quantities. e.g. Fe, Mg, Zn
