Anish Patel

Adaptations of Xylem for its Function

The main purpose of the xylem is to transport water and minerals up the stem, from the roots to the leaves. In order for a xylem to carry out its functions successfully and efficiently, it must have to be adapted. One of the main adaptations of the xylem is the ring of lignin that forms a spiral pattern around the xylem tube. Due to the immense strength of the lignin, it helps to be a supportive structure for the plant, either woody or non woody. Furthermore the lignin prevents the walls of the xylem from collapsing under pressure, which would be caused by the hydrostatic pressure of the transpiration pull, and the root pressure made from high pressure water being pushed up the xylem. Additionally lignin is waterproof, which means it will prevent any water from leaking out of the xylem (diffusing in and out), so that the maximum amount of water travels up the plant to the leaves. Lastly, lignin is very rigid which helps to keep the walls stiff, so that it can resist the strain of physical forces. Another adaptation of the xylem is it being made up of dead cells, which will enable it to carry water through it, as, when it dies, it shrivels up causing the cell inside the cell wall to die and mean that it is hollow within the cell wall. When the cell dies, this means that the nucleus, cytoplasm, chloroplasts and mitochondria are all disintegrated to form a clear tunnel so that the water is not impeded. A further adaptation of the xylem (tracheid) is the pits that form in the walls of the xylem, which helps to transfer water from one tracheid to another, which allows the water to move from side to side even though there is waterproof lignin. The xylem transfers water so that the xylem walls don t collapse in when water is being sucked up the stem of the plant. Also there are pits in the xylem so that water can be transferred to neighbouring cells near the xylem that require water to stay turgid, and those needed to photosynthesis so that it can produce glucose. Additionally, xylems have adapted by removing end walls of the cells (perforation plates), so that the open ends of the cells can join together to form a long, open, hollow tube. This then allows the water to move up a continuous column, without it having to diffuse by osmosis from one cell to another. As a result this means water is transported quicker up to the leaves so that more photosynthesis can occur, as the hollow tube increases the surface area to volume ratio. The perforation plates help to facilitate water movement in the xylem, meaning water can pass freely.

Anish Patel

Xylem also has the adaptation of having a thin lumen which means that it can carry out capillary action effectively, so that water flows up the stem. It is important that the xylem has a thin lumen, because the combination of the surface tension of the water and the forces of adhesion between the water and xylem, work together to lift the water molecules up the plant during the process of the cohesion-tension theory. Furthermore, the xylem cell walls are hydrophilic and highly polar, meaning that they are wettable, so that water spreads over them and binds loosely to them. This combined with the thin lumen, helps to cause adhesion to occur, allowing water to rise up the xylem, and be used for photosynthesis.