Plant Nutrition and Transport

PowerPoint Lectures for

Biology: Concepts and Connections, Fifth Edition
Campbell, Reece, Taylor, and Simon

Lectures by Chris Romero

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Plants acquire their nutrients from soil and air

Roots absorb water, minerals, and some O2
from the soil
Leaves absorb CO2 from the air
Photosynthesis uses carbon, oxygen, and
hydrogen to construct sugars and other
organic materials the plant needs
Cellular respiration breaks down sugars,
producing O2 and energy
Plants have adapted to transport nutrients from
roots to leaves and sugars to specific areas

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

CO2

O2
Minerals

H2O

The plasma membranes of root cells control

solute uptake
A plant can absorb enough water and
inorganic ions through its roots to survive and
grow
Root hairs greatly expand surface area for
absorption

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Substances enter roots in solution

Water and solutes can move through the root's
epidermis and cortex by two routes
Intracellular: via cell interiors, through
plasmodesmata
Extracellular: via cell walls; stopped by
Casparian strip
Plants usually use a combination of both
Water and solutes must cross a plasma
membrane to enter the xylem for transport
upward
Controls solutes that enter xylem

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Root hair

Epidermis

Cortex

Phloem

Key
Dermal tissue system
Ground tissue system
Vascular tissue system

Xylem

Casparian
strip

Endodermis

Casparian strip

Extracellular route,
via cell walls;
stopped by
Casparian strip
Root hair

Plasmodesmata
Intracellular
route, via
cell interiors,
through
plasmodesmata

Endodermis

Epidermis
Cortex

Xylem

Transpiration pulls water up xylem vessels

Xylem sap travels from roots to top of plant
through the tracheids and vessel elements in
xylem
Root pressure can push sap up a few meters
Most sap is pulled up by the transpirationcohesion-tension mechanism
Transpiration
Loss of water from plant's aerial parts
Aided by two properties of water: cohesion,
adhesion
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Xylem sap
Mesophyll cells
Air space within leaf
Stoma
Outside air
Transpiration

Adhesion
Cell
wall

Flow of water

Water
molecule

Cohesion and
adhesion in the xylem

Xylem
cells

Cohesion,
by hydrogen
bonding

Root hair
Soil particle
Water
Water uptake from soil

Guard cells control transpiration

Plants can lose water through transpiration

Leaf stomata help plants regulate their water content

Opened and closed by flanking guard cells
Controlled by movement of H2O and K+

Generally stay open during the day, allowing for

entry of CO2 for photosynthesis
Stay closed at night, conserving water
Respond to cues from sunlight, CO2 level,
biological clock
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Stoma

Guard cells

K
Vacuole

Stoma opening

Stoma closing

Phloem transports sugars

Phloem contains food-conducting sieve-tube
members that transport phloem sap
Phloem sap is transported from sugar source
to sugar sink by a pressure-flow mechanism
At the source, sugar is loaded into the
phloem by active transport
Water follows by osmosis, raising the water
pressure
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 At the sink, sugar leaves the phloem

Water follows by osmosis, lowering the
water pressure
Water is recycled from the sink to the sugar
source through the xylem
Biologists have used aphids to study phloem
sap

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Sievetube
member

TEM 2,700

Sieve
plate

High sugar
concentration
High water pressure
Sugar
source

Phloem

Xylem

Sugar
Water

Source
cell
Sieve plate

Sugar
sink

Sink
cell

Sugar
Water
Low sugar
concentration
Low water pressure

Stylet
of aphid
LM 760

Honeydew
droplet

Aphid feeding on a small branch

Aphids stylet inserted into a phloem cell

Severed stylet dripping

phloem sap

PLANT NUTRIENTS AND THE SOIL

Plant health depends on a complete diet of
essential inorganic nutrients
Plants survive and grow solely on inorganic
nutrients
Essential elements are those 17 a plant must
obtain to complete its life cycle
9 macronutrients needed in large amounts
Mostly build organic molecules
8 micronutrients needed in small amounts
Act mainly as enzyme cofactors
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Complete solution containing

all minerals (control)

Solution lacking
potassium (experimental)

CONNECTION
You can diagnose some nutrient deficiencies in
your own plants
Soil deficient in essential nutrients can produce
plants of lower quality
Plants are most commonly deficient in
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
Symptoms of many nutrient deficiencies are
often distinct enough to identify visually

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Fertile soil supports plant growth

Fertile soil contains a mixture of small rock and
clay particles
Holds water and ions
Allows O2 to diffuse into plant roots

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Soil structure is categorized according to

horizons
A horizon (topsoil)
Rock particles, living organisms, humus;
subject to extensive weathering

B horizon
Fewer organisms, less organic matter; less
subject to weathering

C horizon
Broken-down rock that has been only slightly
weathered
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

A
B

 Root hairs take up certain inorganic particles by

cation exchange
Hairs are in direct contact with water films
on soil particles
Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ adhere tightly to soil particles
H+ released into soil solution by root hairs
displaces them
Can then be absorbed

Anions less tightly bound to soil particles

More readily available, but may leach from
soil
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Soil particle surrounded

by film of water
Root hair
Water

Air space

K
K

K
Clay
particle

K
K

Root hair

CONNECTION
Soil conservation is essential to human life

Three critical areas of good soil management

Proper irrigation
Drip irrigation uses less water than flood
irrigation, reduces water loss from
evaporation and drainage
Erosion control
Windbreaks, crop terracing, contoured
cultivation can prevent loss of soil
Prudent fertilization
Organic fertilizers or conservative use of
chemical fertilizers keep nutrients from
building up and polluting water

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

CONNECTION
Organic farmers must follow ecological principles
Organic farmers aim to protect the
environment while meeting demand for food
U.S. organic farmers must follow strict
guidelines
Protect biological diversity
Maintain and replenish soil fertility
Manage pests without pesticides
Avoid genetically modified organisms
Use few or no synthetic fertilizers
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

CONNECTION
Agricultural research is improving the yields and
nutritional values of crops
The majority of the world's people depend
mainly on plants for protein
Genetic modification holds great potential for
creating more nutritious plants
Example: golden rice
Genetic engineering also has potential
problems
GM plants may overgrow native species
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

PLANT NUTRITION AND SYMBIOSIS

Fungi help most plants absorb nutrients from the
soil
Most plants form mycorrhizae, mutually
beneficial associations with fungi
Fungus obtains sugar from host plant
Plant benefits from increased surface area
for nutrient and water absorption
Mycorrhizae are an early adaptation that may
have helped plants colonize land
Farmers can combat plant malnutrition by
inoculating seeds with fungal spores
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Most plants depend on bacteria to supply

nitrogen
Soil bacteria convert nitrogen to forms plants
can use
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric
N2 to ammonia (NH3)
Ammonifying bacteria decompose organic
matter, producing ammonium (NH4+)
Nitrifying bacteria convert NH4+ to nitrate
NO3Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

ATMOSPHERE

N2
Amino
acids, etc.
N2

Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria
H

Soil

NH3

Organic
material

Ammonifying
bacteria

NH4

NH4
(ammonium)

Nitrifying
bacteria

NO3
(nitrate)

Root

Legumes and certain other plants house

nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Legume-family plants have a symbiotic
relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Rhizobium live in vesicles in root nodules
Plant provides bacteria with carbohydrates
and other organic compounds
Bacteria have enzymes that catalyze
conversion of N2 to NH4+
Can increase fertility of soil as well as
nourish plant
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Shoot

Nodules

Roots

TEM 5,850

Bacteria
within vesicle

The plant kingdom includes parasites and

carnivores
Some plants have evolved ways of obtaining
nutrients from other plants or animals
Parasites tap into host plant's vascular
system
Carnivores kill and digest insects and other
small animals

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings