Ch-4 Absorption by Roots- The Processes Involved
I. Define:
1. Diffusion: It is the movement of molecules of solid, liquid or gas from their higher
concentration area to their lower concentration area.
2. Osmosis: Osmosis is a special type of diffusion which involves the movement of solvent
molecules from a region of their higher concentration to their lower concentration across a
semi-permeable membrane.
3. Endosmosis: It is the movement of water molecules from the surroundings into the cell.
4. Exosmosis: It is the movement of water molecules from the cell into the outer surroundings.
5. Plasmolysis: It is the shrinkage of protoplasm from cell wall when a cell is placed in a
hypertonic solution.
6. Guttation: The exudation of water in the form of droplets along with sugars and mineral
salts, through specialized openings, i.e., hydathodes present along margins of leaf is called
guttation.
7. Ascent of sap: The upward movement of water along with the minerals from the roots to the
aerial part of the plant body is called ascent of sap or translocation of water.
8. Cohesive Force: The force produced by the molecular attraction between water particles.
9. Adhesive Force: The force of attraction between the molecules of unlike bodies that act to
hold them together is called adhesive force.
II. Question and Answer:
Q1. How root hair is structurally adapted for absorption of water from the soil ?
Ans1.(i) The root hair represents a large surface area in contact with the soil particle.
(ii) The minute root hair can penetrate between the soil particles and when it comes in contact
with soil water, the cell membrane allows efficient entry of water into the root.
(iii) The cytoplasm and the vacuoles also help in this water absorption by osmosis.
Q2. Root hairs become flaccid, when fertilizers are added to the moist soil around it. Explain.
Ans2. When fertilizers are added to the moist soil around it, it will form hypertonic solution,
resulting the protoplasm to shrink and plasma membrane withdraw itself from the cell wall.
Hence, the root hairs also become limp or flaccid.
Q3. What do you mean by transpiration pull?
Ans3. Transpiration pull: As the water is lost from the leaf surface by transpiration, more water
molecules are pulled up due to the tendency of water molecules to remain joined (cohesion),
and thus- to produce a continuous column of water through the stem. This phenomenon is
known as transpiration pull.
[Link] at least three uses of water to green plants.
Ans4. (i) Water is major component of protoplasm.
(ii) It is an important raw material for photosynthesis.
(iii) Most metabolic and enzymatic reactions take place in the presence of water.
Q5. “Grapes shrink when immersed in a very strong sugar solution.” Explain.
Ans5. Very strong sugar solution is hypertonic to the grapes juice. Therefore, water from inside
the grapes moves to outside hypertonic solution. It results shrinkage of the grapes.
Q6. What is the significance of diffusion?
Ans6. Significance of Diffusion:
(i) It helps in the exchange of respiratory gases.
(ii) It helps in the transport of food molecules without the plant body.
Q7. What is the water potential?
Ans7. Water potential is a measure of potential energy of water or the difference in potential
energy between a given water sample and pure water.
Q8. A few RBC’s were kept in three test tubes containing isotonic, hypotonic and hypertonic
solutions. What will be the expected observations after a few hours? Explain.
Ans8. The shape and size of the cells will remain unchanged in isotonic solution, because the
cells will neither loose nor gain water in it.
Cells will swell up in hypotonic solution as water will enter in it due to endosmosis.
Cells will shrink in hypertonic solution as water will move out of the cell due to exosmosis.
Q9. Explain why the grass in your lawn becomes greener if you add a little fertilizer to it, but it
dies if you add a lot of it.
Ans9. If a little fertilizer is added, it provides minerals and other nutrients so the leaves
synthesize more chlorophyll and appear greener. If a lot of fertilizer is added, it forms a
hypertonic solution resulting in plasmolysis and consequently wilting of parts of the plant.
Ultimately the plant dies.
III. Give Reasons:
1. It is necessary to maintain a normal osmotic concentration of the blood so as to prevent
dehydration leading to shrinkage of cells.
2. On sprinkling common salt on grass growing in a lawn, the grass is killed as sprinkling
salt makes soil solution hypertonic hence grass lose water due to exosmosis.
3. The raisins swell up in water as the raisins are dry grapes, when these are kept in water, it
enters into the raisins by osmosis (endosmosis) and raisins swell up.
4. We gargle with saline water in case of throat infection because the salt solution (saline
water) is hypertonic and when we gargle with it, comes in contact of infection causing bacteria
in the throat. The water present in the bacterial cell comes out causing plasmolysis and they get
killed giving us relief from infection.
5. The leaves of wilted lettuce, if kept in cold water, become crisp because the leaves of
wilted lettuce are plasmolysed which when kept in the water get deplasmolysed and become
turgid. Hence the leaves become crisp.
6. Bacteria and fungi do not grow in pickles, jams, jellies and squashes as they are kept in
hypertonic solution of sugar or salt which causes the plasmolysis of bacteria and fungi. So, they
cannot grow in such an unfavourable environment.
7. Fresh water fish cannot survive in sea water because the sea water is saline (having more
concentration of salts) and acts as hypertonic solution for the fresh water fishes. So, it causes
the plasmolysis of the cells of the fish and ultimately the fish will die.
8. A closed can of dried seeds bursts open if some water enters it by accident because the
seeds absorb water by imbibition and osmosis and swell up. The swelling up of seeds exerts a
force on the walls of the can, and hence the can bursts open.
9. Drops of water on a leaf of plant like peepal does not enter the leaf by osmosis due to the
presence of cuticle, which does not allow water molecules to pass through it.
IV. Differentiate between:
1. Osmosis and Diffusion.
Osmosis Diffusion
Osmosis is a special type of diffusion which Diffusion is the movement of solute molecules
involves the movement of solvent molecules or ions from a region of their higher
from a region of their higher concentration to a concentration to a region of their lower
region of their lower concentration through a concentration without the influence of a semi
semi-permeable membrane. permeable membrane.
2. Turgid and Flaccid.
Turgid Flaccid
(i) The cell is filled with water so that its The cell loses water from the vacuole and
cell wall is in a state of tension. cytoplasm under plasmolytic condition.
(ii) It occurs due to endosmosis. It occurs due to exosmosis.
3. Active transport and Passive transport.
Active Transport Passive Transport
Minerals in solution are transferred from a Minerals are transferred from a region of their
region of their lower concentration to one of higher concentration to a region of their lower
their higher concentration by using metabolic concentration without using metabolic energy.
energy.
4. Turgor pressure and Wall pressure.
Turgor Pressure Wall Pressure
It is the pressure applied by the contents of a It is the pressure exerted by the cell wall on its
turgid cell on its cell wall. content.
5. Turgor pressure and Root pressure.
Turgor Pressure Root Pressure
It is the pressure of the cell. Contents of a It is the pressure under which water passes
turgid cell on its cell wall. from the living cells into the xylem of root.
It is caused when a cell becomes turgid. It is caused due to alternate turgidity and
flacidity of root cells.
6. Plasmolysis and Deplasmolysis.
Plasmolysis Deplasmolysis
In this, the protoplasm of the cell shrinks away In this, the protoplasm of the cell swells up
from the cell wall. It results in the flaccid and touches the cell wall. It results in the
condition of the cells and the plant. turgid condition of the cells and the plant.
Caused due to exosmosis. Caused due to endosmosis.
7. Endosmosis and Exosmosis.
Endosmosis Exosmosis
It occurs when a cell is placed in a hypotonic It occurs when a cell is placed in a hypertonic
solution. solution.
Water moves in to the cell. Water moves out of the cell.
V. Picture Study.
Q1. In the figure below ‘A’ shows a cell in the normal state and ‘B’ shows the same cell after
leaving it in a certain solution for a few minutes.
Q(i) Describe the change which has occurred in the cell as seen in B.
Ans(i) Exosmosis (exit of water) has resulted in the shrinkage of the protoplasm of cell B.
Q(ii) Give the technical term for the condition of the cell as reached in B and as it was in A.
Ans(ii) Plasmolysis and deplasmolysis.
Q(iii) Define the process which led to this condition.
Ans(iii) When plant cells are kept in a hypertonic solution, exosmosis takes place. This process
is called plasmolysis.
Q(iv) What was the solution-isotonic, hypotonic or hypertonic, in which the cell was kept?
Ans(iv) Hypertonic solution.
Q(v) How can the cell in B, be brought back to its original condition ?
Ans(v) The cell in B can be brought back to its original condition by placing it in a drop of
distilled water.
Q(vi) Name the parts numbered 1 to 3.
Ans(vi) 1. Cell wall, [Link] membrane, 3. Chloroplast.
Q2. The alongside diagram A shows a root hair growing through the soil particles. The diagram
B is the root hair of an aquatic plant.
Q(i) Name the parts 1,2,3.
Ans(i) 1-Nucleus. 2- Cell wall. 3- Cytoplasm of the root hair cell.
Q(ii) Name two substances which enter the root hair. What are their uses?
Ans(ii) 1. Water: Carries minerals to the plant.
2. Minerals: They are needed for healthy plant growth.
Q(iii) By what process do these substances enter the root hair ?
Ans(iii) Osmosis
Q(iv) Account for the different shapes of root hairs in the two diagrams.
Ans(iv) In the Fig. A, the root hair has to pass through the soil particles and as such they are not
straight. In the Fig. B, the root hair has no obstruction in water, and as such it grows straight.
Q3. The diagram given below is of an experiment just at the start. Study the diagram carefully
and answer the following questions :
Q(i) What does the experiment demonstrate ?
Ans(i) The process of osmosis.
Q(ii) Define, the process demonstrated in the experiment.
Ans(ii) Osmosis is a special type of diffusion of solvent molecules through a semi-permeable
membrane from region of their higher concentration to the lower concentration region, but not
vice versa.
Q(iii) What changes are observed after a few hours?
Ans(iii) The level of water in column A will rise along with passage of time and will ultimately
stop when concentration of water molecules are equal on both sides of the membrane.
Q(iv) Give two examples of a semi permeable membrane.
Ans(iv) (a) Parchment paper, (b) Egg membrane.
Q(v) Which limb of the U-tube contains more concentrated sucrose solution,, A or B?
Ans(v) Solution A.
Q(vi) Why is the membrane separating the two solutions labeled as semi permeable membrane?
Ans(vi) It permits the movement of only water molecules to pass through it.
[Link] apparatus arranged here signifies an important process.
Q(i) Name the process.
Ans(i) The process is called osmosis.
Q(ii) Where does this process occur in plants?
Ans(ii) This process occurs in the root hair cells of plants.
Q(iii) What solution is placed inside the dialysis tubing?
Ans(iii) The solution placed inside the dialysis tubing is generally strong sugar solution or salt
solution.
Q(iv) What happens to the level of the solution in the capillary tube ?
Ans(iv) The level of the solution in the capillary tube rises above the original level.
Q(v) Define the process mentioned in Q. (i) above.
Ans(v) Osmosis is a physiological process where the water molecules or solvent molecules
move through a semi permeable membrane from a solution having a higher concentration of
solvent molecules to the solution having a lower concentration of water or solvent molecules.
Question 4. Given below is the figure of an experimental set up to demonstrate root pressure.
. Q(i) Define root pressure.
Ans(i) The collective force exerted by the cortical cells of the root in forcing water upward into
the xylem is known as root pressure
Q(ii) What change would you observe in the water level after sometime?
Ans(ii) The water level will rise in the glass tube.
Q(iii) What role is being played by the root pressure in the given experiment?
Ans(iii) Root pressure is forcing the water up in the stem.
Q(iv) Why the oil has been sprinkled on water?
Ans(iv) To prevent evaporation of water from the tube.
Question 11: The diagram given below represents the result of an experiment conducted on two
freshly taken shoots of a green herbaceous plant. The lower ends dip in water.
Q(i) What is the aim of the experiment?
Ans(i) To demonstrate the role of xylem and phloem in flowering plants.
Q(ii) Some parts of the stem in both the shoots have been removed. Name the conducting tissue
in shoot A and in shoot B, that have been removed.
Ans(ii) In shoot A phloem tissue has been removed. In shoot B central xylem tissue has been
removed.
Q(iii) What are the results of this experiment?
Ans(iii) Plant A gets water and minerals and synthesizes its food and remains healthy. Plant B
due to lack of xylem does not get its supply of water and minerals. The leaves are seen drooping
and will dry.