Movement Of Water Through Plants Flashcards
What is plasmodemasta?
The gaps in the cell wall containing cytoplasm that connect the two cells
How does water travel in the apoplast pathway?
Water passes through the spaces in the cell wall and between the cells.
What does the apoplast pathway not do?
Travel through the cytoplasm. Therefore it does not require osmosis.
How does water travel through the symplast pathway?
Water enters the cytoplasm through the membrane it can then pass through the plasmodesmata to the next cell.
Because the apoplast pathway does not require osmosis what can it allow?
The movement of mineral ions. It also allows the movement of water on mass.
How does water travel through the vacuolar pathway?
Similar to the symplast however the water is not confined to the cytoplasm. It can also pass through the vacuoles.
Define water potential.
A measure of the tendency of water molecules to pass from one place to another.
Where does water always move in terms of water potential?
From an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration.
What is the water potential of pure water?
Zero
What will minerals and ions in the cells cytoplasm do to the water potential of a cell?
Lower it
Why does the addition of minerals and ions lower the water potential of a cell?
Because there are fewer free water molecules available.
Why will a plant cell not continue to uptake water until it bursts?
Because of the strong cellulose cell wall.
Once a cell is full of water it is described as being what?
Turgid
As pressure potential inside a plant cell builds up what does this do?
Reduces the influx of water.
If a plant cell is placed into a salt solution what will happen? Why is this?
Water will leave the cell by osmosis.
Because the water potential of the cell is higher than the water potential of the salt solution.
