PLANT WATER RELATIONS, MICRO &
MACRO NUTRIENTS
Dr. SHARADA M. POTUKUCHI
SCHOOL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
SHRI MATA VAISHNO DEVI UNIVERSITY
KATRA, JAMMU & KASHMIR
UNIT-II: PLANT WATER RELATIONS,
MICRO & MACRO NUTRIENTS
Plant water relations: Importance of water to plant
life, diffusion, osmosis, plasmolysis, imbibition,
guttation, transpiration, stomata & their mechanism
of opening & closing.
Micro & macro nutrients: criteria for identification of
essentiality of nutrients, roles and deficiency systems
of nutrients, mechanism of uptake of nutrients,
mechanism of food transport.
PLANT STRUCTURE
Root and shoot
systems are made up
of basic plant organs:
roots, leaves, stems,
flowers.
ROOT SYSTEM
What are the major
functions of roots?
SHOOT SYSTEM
What are some of the
major functions
performed by the
shoot system?
STRUCTURE IS USED IN
CLASSIFICATION
• Two main categories of flowering plants:
monocots and dicots
• The two groups are distinguished on the
basis of flower parts, leaf veins, and other
structural features.
FLOWERS
Monocots: flower Dicots: flower parts
parts in 3’s in 4’s, 5’s, 6’s
LEAVES
Monocots: parallel
veins in leaves
Dicots: network of
veins in the leaves
ROOTS
Monocots: fibrous Dicots: Main tap root,
root system with no with smaller side
main tap root. roots branching off.
SEEDS
Monocots: single
Dicots: two cotyledons;
cotyledon; endosperm
endosperm is contained
and cotyledon are
in the cotyledon.
separate
•Dermal tissue
PLANT TISSUES •Ground tissue
•Vascular tissue
DERMAL TISSUE: EPIDERMIS
• How is an
epidermis of a
plant similar to
your epidermis?
• What does the
epidermis do?
• What features do
you see in these
cells?
DERMAL TISSUE: PERIDERM
• How is the periderm
like the layer of
dead skin cells on
human skin?
• What does the
periderm do?
• What features do
you see in these
cells?
GROUND TISSUE: PARENCHYMA
• What can you see in
these parenchyma
cells?
• What are some
functions of
parenchyma cells?
GROUND TISSUE: COLLENCHYMA
• How they might
support cells and
be different from
other plant cells?
• Plants don’t have a
skeletal system as
humans do. What
holds a plant up?
• What features do
you see in these
cells?
GROUND TISSUE: SCLERENCHYMA
• How are these
thick-walled cells
different from
Collenchyma cells?
• What features do
you see in these
cells?
• Sclerenchyma cells
are dead at
maturity. Why might
that be?
VASCULAR TISSUE: XYLEM
• Xylem tissue moves
water. What features
would the cells need
to carry out this
function?
• What features do you
see in these cells?
VASCULAR TISSUE: PHLOEM
• Phloem tissue
moves sap, which
is sugar dissolved
in water. What
features would the
cells need to carry
out this function?
• What features do
you see in these
cells?
PLANT CELL AS A PHYSIOLOGICAL UNIT
Living organisms are made up of structural and
functional units called cells.
Every cell is made up of several biomolecules and
organelles.
The organelles are membrane - bound structures
involved in specific functions.
Organelles are absent in prokaryotic cells; yet a
prokaryotic cell also can carry out all the physiological
functions required for its metabolism.
The plant cell can be referred to as a physiological unit
as it has the capabilities of carrying out physiological
functions as a single entity.
The cell wall is a non-living outer limiting layer of the
plant cell which provides shape and rigidity to the cell.
PLANT CELL AS A PHYSIOLOGICAL UNIT
The cell wall is followed by the plasma membrane or
cell membrane which is selectively permeable,
involved in the absorption of water by osmosis, and
other substances like ions and low molecular weight
biomolecules.
The protoplasm which is the physical basis of life
includes cytoplasm, nucleus and cellular organelles
which are involved in the various physiological
phenomena taking place within the cell.
The protoplasm is a water retentive colloid holding
90% of water which is a universal solvent.
The plant cells are characterised by a prominent
vacuole holding the cell sap and functioning as an
osmo-regulatory organelle of the cell.
The cell is the principal seat of metabolic events.
A TYPICAL PLANT CELL
CELL: THE BASIC UNIT OF LIFE
• Cell theory was propounded by Matthias Schleiden
and Theodor Schwann in 1839.
• Schleiden, a botanist, wrote:
Every plant developed in any higher degree, is an
aggregate of fully individualized, independent, separate
beings, even the cells themselves.
• Each cell leads a double life: an independent one
pertaining to its own development alone, and another
incidental, in so far as it has become an integral part
of a plant.
• It is, however, easy to perceive that the vital process
of the individual cells must form the very first,
absolutely indispensable fundamental basis.
WHAT IS LIFE ?
We often divide various objects on Earth into two
categories: The living and the lifeless.
Therefore, the investigation of cells may provide us
with a method to understand the question, “What is
life?”
We often characterize life as something that
possesses attributes that the lifeless lack.
The power of movement is a distinctive aspect of
living matter, where the movement has an internal
rather than an external origin.
Living matter takes up nutrients from the external
environment and, by performing synthetic reactions
at ambient temperatures, converts the inorganic
elements into different compounds.
WHAT IS LIFE ? (contd.)
Living matter also expels the matter that would be toxic
to it.
The ability to synthesize macromolecules from
inorganic elements allows growth, another
characteristic of living matter.
Living matter also contains information, and thus has
the ability to reproduce itself, with near-perfect fidelity.
Lastly, living matter is self-regulating.
It is capable of sensing and responding to
environmental signals in order to maintain a
homeostasis or to adjust to new conditions by entering
metastable states, or other states, in a process known
as allostasis (process of adaptation to acute stress or
stability through variations).
The above-mentioned properties are characteristic of
living things and their possession defines a living thing.
BIOMOLECULES
Cells are primarily made out of carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen.
According to Lawrence Henderson, it is the special
physico-chemical properties of these elements and
their compounds that allow life, as we know it, to
exist.
The vast majority of the oxygen and hydrogen in the
cells exists in the cell as water, which provides the
milieu (a social environment or setting) in which the
other chemicals exist.
BIOMOLECULES
The large numbers of atoms of carbon, oxygen,
hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur, and phosphorous
found in cells are for the most part combined
into macromolecules.
The cell uses these various macromolecules to
build the machinery of the cell.
A cell has various components that help it to
transform information into structure; and it has
various structures to help it convert mass and
energy into work so it can maintain a
homeostasis, move, grow, and reproduce.
CELL ORGANELLES
Divided into three types:
• 1. General cell organelles in every cell
• Cell membrane
• Cytosol
• Cytoplasm
• Cytoskeleton
• Nucleus
• Nucleolus
• Mitochondrion
• Endoplasmic reticulum
• Ribosome
• Golgi apparatus
• Peroxisome
• Lysosomes
CELL ORGANELLES (contd.)
2. Temporary cell organelles for specific tasks
Autophagosome
Endosome
Chromosome
Sister chromatids
Centrosomes
3. Unique cell organelles in the plant cells
Cell wall
Vacuole
Chloroplast
CELL ORGANELLE; BIOLOGICAL FUNCTION
Nucleus DNA Storage; Files and blueprints
management
Mitochondrion Energy production; Power plant
Ribosome Protein synthesis; Machine to product toys
Rough ER Protein production and modification;
Coordination of toy production line and decoration
Smooth ER Lipid production and Detoxification;
Accessory production
Golgi Apparatus Protein transportation and export;
Packaging and shipping department
CELL ORGANELLE (contd.)
Peroxisome Lipid breakdown; redox reactions; Hazard
chemical handling
Lysosome Protein destruction; Recycling
Cytoskeleton Cell movement; intracellular
transportation; Conveyor system
Cell membrane Define the inside and outside of a cell;
Factory building
Cell wall Structural support and protection (plant cell);
Reinforced factory building
Cytosol Cellular fluid Internal space and floor plan
Chloroplast Photosynthesis (plant cell); Solar panels
Vacuole Storage and water regulation (plant cell);
Storage spaces
PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES
• Among the cell organelles, the Chloroplast is the
most important structure, unique to plant cells
and involved in the most important physiological
process called Photosynthesis. This process is
the source of food for life on earth.
• Respiration - The organelle of the plant cell
involved in cellular respiration is the
mitochondrion. This organelle is concerned with
the oxidation of food substances to release CO2 ,
water and energy in the form of Adenosine Tri
Phosphate (ATP).
• Protein Synthesis - The synthesis of proteins
and their transport is carried out by the
ribosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum.
• Secretion - Cell secretion takes place by the
organelle called the Golgi body which is referred
to as the dictyosome in plants.
• The plant is thus able to co-ordinate the
physiological activities of the various organelles
and behaves as a perfect physiological unit.
• Thus the cell is the seat of important
physiological functions.
PROPERTIES OF PROTOPLASM
• The protoplasm is the living component of the plant
cell and involves four parts
(i) the cytoplasm
(ii) the vacuoles
(iii) a number of organelles
(iv) the nucleus
• In young cells, the vacuoles are many, small and
scattered, whereas in a mature cell, there is a single
large vacuole occupying the centre of the cell and
the cytoplasm forms a thin peripheral layer around
the vacuole.
• The Physical Nature of Protoplasm - many theories
have been put forth to explain the physical nature
of the protoplasm.
THE ALVEOLAR FOAM THEORY
• Butschili in 1882, said that the protoplasm is a
semi-transparent, viscous and slimy substance,
essentially a liquid possessing a foaming or
alveolar structure.
COLLOIDAL THEORY
• Wilson Fischer (1894) considered the protoplasm
as a polyphase colloidal system.
• This theory is a widely accepted one as the
protoplasm is seen to exhibit the properties of
colloids.
PROPERTIES
i. COLLOIDAL SYSTEM
The protoplasm forms a colloidal system
composed of a water phase in which mineral
matter is dissolved, also having a protein phase,
a fat phase and many minor phases. So it is said
to be a polyphase colloidal system.
ii. SOLATION AND GELATION
The protoplasm exists mostly as a sol (which is
semi-liquid) but sometimes it becomes rigid and
is viewed as a gel (which is semi-solid)
Gelation
Sol Gel
Solation
PROPERTIES
iii. BROWNIAN MOVEMENT
The particles of the protoplasm show an erratic zig-zag
movement. This random motion, caused by the uneven
bombardment of particles is called Brownian
movement.
iv. TYNDALL EFFECT
The scattering of a beam of light by the particles of a
colloid is termed tyndall effect. This is a property of the
protoplasm also.
v. ULTRAFILTRATION
The particles of the protoplasm cannot be filtered
through ordinary filter paper but can be filtered through
ultrafilters such as millipore filters.
PROPERTIES
vi. ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
The particles of the colloid carry an uniform
electric charge.
vii. FLOCCULATION OR COAGULATION
When the particles of a colloid lose their charges
they tend to aggregate and increase in size. As a
result they fall out and get precipitated. In other
words protoplasm loses its living property.
These properties of the protoplasm indicate that it is
a living substance and has rightly been termed as the
physical basis of life.
CHEMICAL NATURE OF PROTOPLASM
The major constituent of the protoplasm is water which
makes up 90% of it.
The dry matter has several organic and inorganic
substances.
Proteins and other nitrogen - containing compounds
constitute the bulk of organic matter.
Liquids like fats and oils are also present in small
amounts. Compounds consisting of chlorides,
phosphates, sulphates and carbonates of magnesium,
potassium, sodium, calcium and iron are also present.
Since the protoplasm contains all the chemical
constituents required for life, it has been called the
"Physical and Chemical Basis of Life".