1

03/05/2008
Biology section 2
Title
Plant Water Relations III
List of Authors
1. Campbell !eil ". an# Reece $ane B. Biology %e&ent' (#ition.
2. )oore Ran#y an# *o#opic' +arrell %. Biology ,aboratory )an-al (ig't
(#ition. )c.ra/0 1ill. !e/ 2or34 !.2. 2008. 3510356.
Abstract
7'e mini e8periments carrie# o-t /ere #one to #etermine t'e relations'ip bet/een /ater
an# /ater li9e. In going abo-t t'is /e meas-re t'e transpiration rate /ater in0ta3e rate
an# t'e si:e an# t'e amo-nt o9 stomata are present in #i99erent types o9 plants -n#er
&ario-s con#itions.
Introduction
In t'e aloe lea9 c-ticle e8periment t'e aim o9 t'e e8periment /as to meas-re t'e rate at
/'ic' /ater transpires -n#er lig't an# #ar3 con#itions. In t'e 7ranspiration o9 .erani-m
lea9 e8periment t'e am o9 t'e e8periment /as to meas-re t'e rate at /'ic' /ater is ta3en
into a plant lea9 o&er a 50 min-tes perio#. In t'e stomata #emo e8periment /as to
e8amine t'e stomata 9rom t'e c-ticle o9 a .erani-m lea9.
Materials/Methods
7ranspiration o9 gerani-m lea9 e8periment
)aterial4 Capillary t-be r-bber t-be .erani-m lea9 car# boar# r-bber ban#s.
)et'o#4
1. ;ill 'e capillary t-be an# r-bber t-be /it' /ater.
2. C-t t'e plant stem at an angle in /ater.
3. Insert t'e plant stem in t'e r-bber t-be.
<. "ttac' t'e plant an# t-bes to a car#boar# -sing r-bber ban#.
5. "llo/ /ater to e=-ilibrate t'en meas-re an# recor# t'e initial rea#ing.
5. ,ea&e 9or 50 min-tes t'en meas-re an# recor# t'e 9inal rea#ing.
%tomate +emo
)aterial4 C-ticle o9 .erani-m lea9 %li#e microscope 9orceps /ater.
)et'o#4
1. %eparate a piece o9 c-ticle 9rom t'e .erani-m lea9 /it' a 9orcep.
2. Place t'e c-ticle on t'e sli#e an# a## a tip o9 /ater.
3. Place sli#e -n#er microscope.
<. >bser&e a# #ra/ t'e str-ct-re o9 t'e stomata.
"loe ,ea9 C-ticle (8periment
)aterial4 "loe lea9 c-ticle lamp balance 9orcep.
)et'o#4
1. 7a3e one aloe lea9 c-ticle an# 'ori:ontally in 'al9.
2. 7a3e bot' t'e c-t an# -nc-t aloe lea9 c-ticle /eig' eac' an# recor# t'eir /eig't.
3. Place a c-t aloe lea9 c-ticle an# place it -n#er lig'te# con#itions 9or abo-t an
'o-r.
<. Place an -nc-t aloe lea9 c-ticle an# place it -n#er lig'te# con#itions 9or abo-t an
'o-r.
5. 7a3e bot' t'e c-t an# -nc-t aloe lea9 c-ticle an# /eig' an# recor# t'e 9inal
/eig't o9 eac'.
Results
7ranspiration o9 .erani-m ,ea9 (8periment
,ig't +ar3
0.000? 0.008
0.001 0.0005
"&g. 0.001 cm / 1r
cm
"&g. 0.00<3 cm /1r
cm
,ig't
cm / 1r @
cm
+ar3
cm / 1r @
cm
%tomata +emo
In e8amining t'e sample o9 .erani-m lea9 c-ticle some o9 t'e stomata /ere open an#
some o9 t'e stomata /ere close#.
P'otosynt'esis4
5C>2 A.B C 512> A,B C5112>5A%B C 5>2 A.B
Carbon +io8i#e C Water .l-cose C >8ygen
Wit' e8cess C>2 t'e stomata /ill close 'o/e&er /it' no C>2 t'e stomata /ill open.
"loe ,ea9 C-ticle (8periment
C-t (8pose# ,ea9 Control Dnc-t ,ea9
Be9ore 3.3< g <.15 g
"9ter 1.?5 g 3.?0 g
E /eig't 12> loss4
C-t F (8pose# AE /eig't 12> lossB @ 3.3< 1.?5 8 100 @ <1.316 E
3.3<
Dnc-t F Control AE /eig't 12> lossB @ <.15 3.?0 8 100 @ 5.02 E
E still in plant4
C-t F (8pose# @ 1000 <1.316 @ 58.583E
Dnc-t F Control 100 5.02 @ ?3.8E
Discussion
". %tomata str-ct-re F ;-nction.
%tomata are speciali:e# epi#ermal pores /'ic' are 9orme# by t'e separation o9 a
pair o9 g-ar# cells. 7'ese pores s-pport p'otosynt'esis by allo/ing t'e e8c'ange
o9 C>2 an# >2 bet/een t'e o-tsi#e air an# t'e sporop'yte interior. %tomata are t'e
main a&en-es by /'ic' /ater e&aporates 9rom t'e sporop'yte. In 'ot #ry
con#itions t'e stomata can close minimi:ing /ater loss. W'ile in col# /et
con#itions t'e stomata can open increasing /ater in0ta3e. 7'e str-ct-re an#
9-nction o9 t'e stomata are4
1. Cell Wall 0 7'e cell /all o9 t'e g-ar# cells are -ne&en.
2. .-ar# Cells 7'ese are pairs o9 3i#neys0s'ape# str-ct-res in e-#icots an#
#-mb0bell0s'ape# str-ct-res in monocots. 7'e g-ar# cell controls t'e
#iameter o9 t'e stoma by c'anging s'ape t'ereby /i#ening or narro/ing
t'e gap bet/een t'e t/o cells. 7'e g-ar# cells in ta3e /ater 9rom ta3e in
/ater 9rom t'eir neig'boring cells by osmosis.
3. Cell-lose )icro 9ibril 7'ese are oriente# in a #irection t'at ca-ses t'e
g-ar# cells to b-c3le o-t/ar# /'en t'ey are t-rgi#. 7'is b-c3ling
increases t'e si:e o9 t'e pore bet/een t'e g-ar# cells.
<. *ac-ole 7'e &ac-ole stores G+ an# /ater.
B. (pi#ermis c-ticle an# lea9 str-ct-re an# 9-nction.
1. (pi#ermis 7'ese are #ermal tiss-es /'ic' -s-ally consist o9 a single
layer o9 tig'tly pac3e# cells. 7'e epi#ermis 9-nctions to protect t'e plant
9rom /ater loss an# #iseases an# also as speciali:e# in eac' organ o9 t'e
plant.
2. C-ticle 7'ese are /a8y coatings locate# in t'e epi#ermis o9 lea&es an#
most stems. 7'e c-ticle consists o9 polymer calle# polyesters an# /a8es.
7'e c-ticle acts as /aterproo9ing 'elping pre&ent e8cessi&e /ater loss
9rom t'e abo&e0gro-n# plants organs /'ile also pro&i#ing some
protection 9rom microbial attac3s.
3. ,ea9 t'e lea&es are organs t'at increase t'e s-r9ace area o9 &asc-lar
plants t'ereby capt-ring more solar energy 9or p'otosynt'esis. ,ea&es can
be classi9ie# as eit'er microp'ylls or megap'ylls.
C. %.P.".C.
7'e soil plant air contin--m is t'e pat' o9 /ater t'ro-g' a plant. 7'e pat' o9
/ater t'ro-g' a plant is t'ro-g' t'e root s'oot lea9 air. Water mo&es t'ro-g'
t'e plant by transpirational an# osmotic 9orces.
Re9erences
1. Campbell !eil ". an# Reece $ane B. Biology %e&ent' (#ition.
2. )oore Ran#y an# *o#opic' +arrell %. Biology ,aboratory )an-al (ig't
(#ition. )c.ra/0 1ill. !e/ 2or34 !.2. 2008. 3510356 61 581 565 616 585.