How does material move through (up & down) plants?

Question

Could you please describe the following in a fair amount of detail, but not too complicated!

Please don't post if youare not certain.... Thanks!

Answer 1

Materials, dissolved (or semi-dissolved?) in water, are moved up and down the plant through the xylem and phloem, such as the previous posts say. An additional factor to think about is that materials and water also move about because of differences in pressure within the vessels of the plant. At the leaf surface, heat and wind are drying the water that is present. As this water "dries out" of the plant through the stoma, it creates a vacuum within the vessel it was in. This, in turn, pulls water up through the plant to replace itself (physics-search for pressure, STP). This whole process is called Transpiration. Adhesion, thus capillary action, would not be sufficient enough a force to distribute water to the highest part of the plant.

Answer 2

Water is the lifeblood of all living organisms, including plants. Water is absorbed through the roots and is moved via capillary action throughout the entire plant. Any minerals/vitamins/ nutrients dissolved in the water is also taken with it to the rest of the plant.

Answer 3

Like blood vessels in our body, and the plumbing system in a building plants have their own system of transporting water and minerals. That is through Xylem and Phloem. Xylem transports water and minerals from the roots to the leaves. Phloem transports the synthesised food from the leaves to the different parts of the plant , after photosynthesis.

Answer 4

Cohesion and adhesion (capillary action) as it travels up the xylem from the roots into the stem. Lateral movement of water can occur by osmosis and diffusion from cell to cell.
See other answers above for some definitions of the words used here.

They are good answers....

Answer 5

Xylem and Phloem and the use of turgor preasure. Turgor preasure makes up the skelaton of the plant. Xylem brings the minerals from the roots and brings it up while phloem either takes in gases or discharges gas.

Answer 6

cohesion (water molecules sticking to each other) and
adhesion (water molecules that are stuck to each other sticking to the inside walls of the plants vascular system)

cohesion+adhesion=the ability for water to "climb up" the stalks of plants....

kind of like if you have a very very thin hollow tube (like a capillary tube) and touch it to the surface of some colored water....the water will shoot up the tube due to adhesion and cohesion...

hope this helps

Answer 7

generally capillary action and osmosis halps the plants to move material upwards and vise varsa

Answer 8

capillary action just like a straw.

Answer 9

Go to http://www.biologymad.com/ and click on 'site map', then 'transport in plants'... it has everything you would ever need to know.

Answer 10

water,carbon dioxide,oxygen. go to www.biology.com