TRANSPIRATION

Transpiration is a very useful process for plants for two reasons:

one, creating suction force in the stem to enable the roots to absorb
water and mineral nutrients,
two, for cooling the plant in hot weather.
Transpiration is the process of loss of water in the form of water
vapour from the leaves and other aerial parts of the plant.
98% of water intake is lost due to Transpiration and only 2% is used
for Photosynthesis.

Experiment to show water is lost during

Transpiration.

Blue Cobalt chloride changes to pink in

presence of water
 Lost of water during
Transpiration can be
measured.

MEASUREMENT OF
TRANSPIRATION
1. Weighing method: A small light weight potted plant can be
weighed before and after the end of a certain period of time. This
would indicate the volume of water loss that can be compared with
the loss in weight with the help of a weighing machine (B) or by
converting cc into grams (1 cc water weighs 1g). by converting cc.
Another weighing experiment can be done by using a test-tube filled
with water and inserting a leafy shoot (no roots) in it and pouring
some oil on the surface to prevent loss of water by evaporation.

2. Potometer method: Potometer is a device that measures the rate of

water intake by a plant (L. poton: drink, meter: measure), and this
water intake is almost equal to the water lost through transpiration.
Ganong's Potometer :-

A twig of some suitable plant (e.g., coleus) cut with a sharp knife is
fixed in an apparatus. The entire apparatus is filled with water so
that no air spaces are present. The air bubble can be brought back to
its original position by releasing some more water from the reservoir
into the capillary tube by opening the stop cock.
Potometers do not measure the water lost during transpiration but
measure the water uptake by the cut shoot.

Precautions in the use of potometer

(i) The potometer should be made completely water-tight.
(ii) The twig should be cut obliquely and under water to avoid suction
of an air bubble into the twig which will stop the absorption of water
into the xylem.

Limitations in the use of potometer

(i) Introducing the air bubble is not very easy.
(ii) The twig may not remain fully alive for a long time.
(iii) Any changes in the outside air temperature may affect the
position of the air bubble in the capillary tube.

KINDS OF TRANSPIRATION

Transpiration from the aerial parts of a plant occurs from three

different regions :
(i) From the leaves through the stomata (stomatal transpiration),
(ii) Directly from the surface of the leaves and stems.
(iii) From the lenticels which are the minute openings on the surface
of old woody stems (lenticular transpiration).

Mechanism of Stomatal Transpiration

Stomata (singular: stoma) are minute openings in the epidermal

layer of leaves. A stoma is surrounded by two bean-shaped guard
cells.

The transpiration pull thus created can draw up water to about 50

metres or more in tall trees.
More transpiration occurs from the under surface of a dicot leaf.
There are more stomatal openings on the undersurface of a dicot leaf
and therefore, more transpiration occurs from the undersurface.
 Experiment : The leaf should remain attached to its own plant. The
piece of paper which is facing the upper surface of the leaf either does
not turn pink or turns pink in a much longer time than the one on the
lower surface which turns pink much faster.

Stomatal regulation of transpiration

Stomata are minute structures occurring in large numbers on the

lower epidermis of a leaf. The opening and closing is regulated by
amount of water and solutes present in the guard cells
Leaves of some plants wilt during midday and recover in the
evening. In such cases, the rate of transpiration during midday
exceeds the rate of absorption of water by the roots. The cells,
therefore, lose turgidity.
Stomatal transpiration is controlled by the plant by adjusting the
size of the stoma, whereas this does not happen in the case of
cuticular and lenticular transpiration.

Cuticular transpiration

Cuticle is a waxy layer secreted by the

epidermis on the two surfaces of the leaf.
The cuticle serves to prevent evaporation
of water from the leaf surfaces.
The greater the thickness of the cuticle,
the lesser is the evaporation (transpiration),
 Lenticular transpiration

Lenticels are special openings that develop on the

barks of older stems in place of stomata.
Lenticels never close. They remain open all the
time. The amount of transpiration from lenticels
is certainly more than the cuticular
transpiration, but very much less than the
stomatal transpiration.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT TRANSPIRATION

A. EXTERNAL FACTORS
1. Intensity of Sunlight: During the day, the stomata are open to
facilitate the inward diffusion of CO2, for photosynthesis. At night
they are closed.

2. Temperature: If the outside temperature is higher, there is more

evaporation from the leaves, therefore, more transpiration. Increase
in temperature allows more water to evaporate and the decrease in
temperature reduces evaporation.

3. Velocity of wind: Transpiration increases with the velocity of wind.

If the wind blows faster, the water vapour released during
transpiration is removed faster and the area outside the leaf does not
get saturated with water vapour.

4. Humidity: Transpiration is reduced if the air outside is humid.

High humidity in the air reduces the rate of outward diffusion of the
internal water vapour across stomata, thereby reducing the rate of
transpiration.
5. Carbon dioxide: Increase in the CO, level in the outside air over
normal 0.03% causes stomatal closure and results in the decrease of
transpiration.

6. Atmospheric pressure: Rate of transpiration increases with the

decrease in atmospheric pressure.

B. INTERNAL FACTOR

Water content of the leaves: If the water content of the leaves

decreases due to insufficient absorption of water by the roots, the
leaves wilt and transpiration is reduced. Such reduction in
transpiration is indirectly due to the closure of stomata and it is a
natural mechanism of conserving water within the plant.

ADAPTATIONS IN PLANTS TO REDUCE EXCESSIVE

TRANSPIRATION

1. Sunken stomata : The stomata may be sunken or covered by hairs

(e.g. Nerium).
2. Fewer stomata: The number of stomata may be reduced.
3. Narrow leaves: The leaves may become narrower to reduce surface
area (e.g. Nerium).
4. Reduced exposed surfaces: In some cases, leaves may get wavy,
rolled or folded to reduce exposed surface.

5. Loss of leaves: In some cases, leaves may be dropped or may be

absent or changed into spines as in most cacti.
6. Thick cuticle: The leaves may be covered by thick cuticle, e.g.
Banyan, and most evergreen trees.

SIGNIFICANCE OF TRANSPIRATION

1. Cooling effect: Evaporation reduces temperature of leaf surface.

Therefore, transpiration is useful to plants on hot sunny days. (At
intense heat, the enzymes are destroyed).

2. Suction force: Transpiration helps in the ascent of sap by

producing a suction force acting from the top of a plant. Evaporation
from the leaves concentrates cell sap and increases their osmotic
pressure.

Distributiion of water and mineral salts :- Higher the rate of

transpiration, greater the rate of absorption of water and solutes
from the soil. Is transpiration an excretory process in the
plants?........No!
It is not appropriate to relate transpiration to excretion or just the
elimination of "excess water". Excretion wherever it occurs, is a
deliberate active process carried out by the organism to get rid of
unwanted and metabolic waste substances.

Transpiration affects climate :-

. A full grown single sunflower plant is estimated to lose about half a
litre of water per day in the form of water vapour.
• A single maize plant loses about 2 litres of water per day.
• A large apple tree may lose about 30 litres of water per day.
Thus, transpiration increases the moisture in the atmosphere and
brings rain. In this way, transpiration from plants affects climate.
Forests contribute in bringing rain ------- Transpiration is the secret.
GUTTATION AND BLEEDING

Some plants may lose water or other fluids along with dissolved
substances directly in liquid form and not as water vapour. This is
known as exudation (to exude means to ooze or sweat out) and the
fluid given out is known as an exudate. It occurs in two ways
guttation and bleeding.

Guttation (gutta: to pour out, to drop): The leaves of certain plants

exhibit droplets of water along their margins in the morning (Fig.
5.13). This particularly happens in plants growing in warm humid
conditions. A humid environment hampers transpiration while the
roots continue to absorb water from the soil.
Special pore-bearing structures called hydathodes are present on the
margins of the leaf to allow this exudation.

Bleeding: This happens only due to injury. The plant sap escapes
("bleeds") from the ruptured or cut surfaces of a plant. The root
pressure generated by a plant assists in bleeding.