Plant Organ Systems

The body of a typical plant is generally considered to have two

main organ systems: the root system and the shoot system. In
the biological science, a system is agroup of tissues and organs
that perform specic functions.

A plants root system consists of all the roots that lie below
the surface of the ground. It takesin water and minerals from
the soil and sends it
to the shot system
and the rest of the
plant. As the plant
grows so must the
root system so that it
can keep pace with
the plants increased
demand for materials.
The shoot system is responsible for supporting the plant,
performing photosynthesis, and transporting water,
nutrients, and sugars.
Flowers and their fruit are considered part of a separate
system.

Vascular Tissue (Remember from last time):

Xylem tissue, which dies at maturity, takes care of moving
water and minerals from the roots to other plant parts,
including the leaves, where these materials are needed for
photosynthesis.
Phloem, which is live tissue, moves the sugars produced by
photosynthesis to other plant parts. Phloem cells actively pump
substances to where they are needed in the plant.
Moving Water through the Systems
Plants cannot survive without water. They need it for nutrients
to be taken up by the roots because nutrient molecules need to
be dissolved in water in order to be absorbed and move up the
xylem as sap. Water is also essential for photosynthesis to take
place.
If there is too much water the soil can become depleted in
oxygen (anoxic) and the root cells will not get enough oxygen
for cellular respiration.
Keeping watermoving through a plant is important and requires
the co-ordinated action of both the root and shoot systems.

Moving Through the Roots

Water is sent to the tops of the tallest trees by
absorption in the roots. Most types of roots grow
small extensions of their cell membranes called
root hairs, which increase the roots total surface
area. Nutrients and water are transported into
the root by osmosis.
As nutrients and water move toward the xylem at the centre of
the root, the endodermis helps control the passage of water
and minerals from the cortex to the vascular tissue. Water and
nutrients are then pushed into the xylem vessels.

The Effect of Root Pressure on Water Movement

Once water from the roots reaches the xylem, how does it
move upward, against the force of gravity, to reach the leaves
at the top of a tall tree? Is it pushed from below, by root
pressure, or pulled from above, as a result of transpiration?

Root pressure is greatest when transpiration rate is low and

when soil is very moist (at night for instance). Root cells bring
minerals into the xylem increasing their concentration in the
xylem. This causeswater to diffuse into the root xylem by
osmosis increasing fluid pressure in the xylem vessels which
forces fluid up the xylem. Root pressure alone cannot push
water up to the top of a tall tree. Transpiration, the loss of
water from the leaves by way of the stoma, is far more
important in pulling water to the top of the tree.

The Pull from Above

Xylem tissue ends when it reaches the leaves. Here, liquid
water turns into water vapour in the spaces between the
spongy parenchyma cells in the middle of a leaf. Some of this

water will be used during photosynthesis. However, much

more of the water vapour will simply evaporate when stomata
open to take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
Transpiration
makes room for
more water from
the xylem to move
into the leaves,
pulling the water
column up.
Two important factors in water transport in plants are
cohesion, the ability of water molecules to cling to each other,
and adhesion the ability of water to stick to certain surfaces
which helps water fight the force of gravity. Adhesion of water
to the xylem walls helps to prevent it from flowing back down
to the roots. The rate of transpiration is controlled by the
amount of water vapour in the leaves. When vapour pressure is
high, the stomata open, water vapour moves out of the leaves,
and the transpiration rate is high. When vapour pressure is
small, the stomata close and the transpiration rate is low.
Moving Nutrients through the Systems
Photosynthesis produces a form of sugar called glucose.
Glucose is either used in respiration or it combines with other
molecules to produce sucrose and other carbohydrates.
Because sucrose is very soluble in water it can be distributed to
other parts of the plant through the phloem as sap. In the
roots, sucrose is chemically changed to starch and stored.

However, when it is needed by other plant organs it is

converted back to sucrose because starch is not soluble and
cannot be transported.
Maple Sap
In the early spring, trees need to nourish the buds that must
divide and grow to produce leaves. In maple trees, the sap that
flows upward from the roots through the phloem contains large
amounts of sucrose, converted from starch in the roots. In the
summer, leaves make their own glucose through
photosynthesis. In the late summer and fall, the leaves produce
more glucose than their cells require, this excess is transported
to other plant tissues or stored in the rootsas starch for the
winter.