New
New
Year 11
Edexcel
Higher

Transport systems in plants: xylem and transpiration

I can explain how water and mineral ions are transported through xylem by transpiration.

New
New
Year 11
Edexcel
Higher

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

  1. Water and mineral ions are transported from the roots, up the stem, to the leaves, in vessels made of xylem.
  2. Xylem is made of dead, empty cells with no cytoplasm, that form a tube with a tough wall made of lignin.
  3. Water is continually lost from the surface of a plant when water molecules diffuse into the air through open stomata.
  4. Water is pulled up through xylem tubes to replace the water lost through open stomata; this process is transpiration.
  5. The water that is pulled through xylem tubes has mineral ions dissolved in it, including nitrate ions.

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.

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

Put celery stems in a beaker of coloured water for about an hour before the lesson. Cut it into about 0.5 cm slices and hand to students so they can see the location of xylem and pull it apart to see its structure and adaptations. A hand lens might be useful if a closer look is wanted.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Optional: dyed celery stems.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which part of a plant absorbs water from the surroundings?
An image in a quiz
A
B
C
Correct answer: D
Q2.
Producers use water in a process called to make glucose, which requires energy from light.
Correct Answer: photosynthesis
Q3.
Which gas is a reactant in photosynthesis?
Correct Answer: carbon dioxide, CO2
Q4.
Match each structure to its correct function.
Correct Answer:root hair cell ,absorb water and minerals from the soil

absorb water and minerals from the soil

Correct Answer:xylem,transport water and minerals from the root to the rest of the plant

transport water and minerals from the root to the rest of the plant

Correct Answer:stomata,pores that open to allow gasses to move in and out of leaves

pores that open to allow gasses to move in and out of leaves

Q5.
How do plants absorb nitrate ions from the soil?
osmosis
diffusion
Correct answer: active transport
gas exchange
Q6.
Plants roots absorb magnesium ions from the soil. Why do plants need magnesium?
to make proteins
to make carbohydrates
to make lipids
to make DNA
Correct answer: to make chlorophyll

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the name of the part of the plant that has hair cells to absorb water?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: root, roots
Q2.
Match each structure to its correct role.
Correct Answer:root hair cell ,provides a large surface area for the absorption of water and minerals

provides a large surface area for the absorption of water and minerals

Correct Answer:xylem ,a tissue in plants that transports water and mineral ions

a tissue in plants that transports water and mineral ions

Correct Answer:stomata,open and close to enable gas exchange and control water loss

open and close to enable gas exchange and control water loss

Q3.
Stomata are surrounded by two cells that open and close the pore.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: guard,
Q4.
Which of the descriptions does not apply to xylem?
Cells are joined together to make a continuous tube.
It is composed of dead cells.
Correct answer: The cell walls are permeable to water.
The cell walls are lignified.
The cells have no cytoplasm.
Q5.
Match each term to its correct meaning.
Correct Answer:transpiration ,loss of water from the leaves of plants

loss of water from the leaves of plants

Correct Answer:transpiration stream ,movement of water from the roots to the leaves of plants

movement of water from the roots to the leaves of plants

Correct Answer:mineral ions ,substances needed to make proteins and chlorophyll

substances needed to make proteins and chlorophyll

Correct Answer:flaccid ,plant cells lacking enough water to make them firm

plant cells lacking enough water to make them firm

Correct Answer:turgid ,plant cells full of water making them swell and become firm

plant cells full of water making them swell and become firm

Q6.
In which direction are water and dissolved mineral ions moved through the xylem?
An image in a quiz
in both directions
Correct answer: only from the roots, up the stem to the leaves
only from the leaves, down the stem to the roots