Transpiration and Xerophytes

By Fumi Awonuga
 TRANSPIRATION
Transpiration is the evaporation of cellular water (in the form of water vapour) from the
stoma in the leaves of the plants. Stoma are "pores" and are generally located on the
underside of the leaves of plants.

Transpiration allows the absorption of minerals and ions and allows water and minerals flow
from root to shoots. The flow is caused by the decrease in hydrostatic pressure in the upper
parts of the plants due to the diffusion of water out of the stomata into the atmosphere.

How water is lost from leaf....

Transpiration draws water up the roots into a stem

The water molecules pass

down the concentration gradient from the spongy and palisade mesophyll cells

Water enters root hair cells by osmosis

Transpiration pulls water into the fine leaf vessels

Water vapour leaves the plant through the stomata

 Potometer
Potomer is a device used for measuring the rate of water uptake of a leafy shoot.

There are two main types of potometers used - the bubble potometer and the mass potometer.

The mass potometer consists of a plant with its root submerged in a beaker. This beaker is then
placed on a digital balance; readings can be made to determine the amount of water lost by the
plant. It is important to note that the mass potometer measures the water lost through transpiration
of the plant and not the water taken up by the plant.
To ensure valid results, the length of the leaf or amount of plant has to be controlled. The digital
balance readings has to be precise.

The bubble potometer consists of a length of capillary tube. A bubble is introduced to the capillary;
as water is taken up by the plant, the bubble moves. By marking regular graduations on the tube, it
is possible to measure water uptake.
To ensure valid results, the length of the capillary tube has to be kept the same. It is advisable not to
shake the tube or touch the tube while the bubble is moving as this could cause the bubbles to
move faster or otherwise.
 Rate of transpiration
The transpiration rates depends on the gradient in humidity from the leaves internal air spaces
to the outside air, and the diffusion resistance provided by the stomatal pores. The humidity
gradient is influenced by temperature humidity and wind speed. Whereas the size of the
stomatal opening is determined mainly by factors such as the surrounding light intensity, soil
water supply and soil temperature.

Environmental factors
Light- Plants respire more rapidly in the light than in the dark because there is more sunlight in
the light.

Temperature- Plants transpire more rapidly at higher temperatures because water evaporates
more rapidly as the temperature rises. Temperature causes air to expand, this cause air to hold
much more water molecules and so increase the rate of transpiration.

Humidity- The rate of diffusion of any substance increases as the difference in concentration of
the two substances in the two regions increases. When the surrounding air is dry, diffusion of
water out of the leaf goes on more rapidly.

Wind- When there is no breeze the air surrounding leaf becomes increasingly humid thus
reducing the rate of transpiration. Under windy conditions the stomata are triggered to close to
reduce water lose.
Graph representation of factors affecting
transpiration
 XEROPHYTES
Xerophytes are plants adapted to a dry habitat.

Stomata must remain open during the day for sunlight. The stomata absorb carbon dioxide
and water so that the plant can make simple sugars during photosynthesis. The simple
sugars produced by photosynthesis provide energy for the plant. Without photosynthesis,
plants could not live or grow.

Solar energy turns the water in the plants into a vapour

causing it to evaporate into the leaves internal air spaces before
diffusing out of the stomata into the air. The water is able to
evaporate out of the leaf as the leaf has a high water potential and
the surrounding has a low water potential.
 Plasmolysis
Plasmolysis is the process in plant cells where the plasma membrane pulls away from the
cell wall due to the loss of water through osmosis.