Water and Mineral Absorption

In plants, absorption of water and minerals is a fundamental procedure that is vital for their development and different metabolic actions. Absorption of water in lower plants happens through the procedure of osmosis by the entire plant body. In higher plants, the method of water absorption is by the root hairs. Plants can soak up soluble minerals (those which could get dissolved in water). They soak up minerals that are dissolved in solution from the soil by their root hair cells.

Water and Mineral Absorption

In plants, absorption of water and minerals is an organic procedure in which the plants take up capillary water from the soil to the root xylem via the root hairs throughout different plant procedures such as transpiration, osmosis, and respiration. The water supply is a significant aspect, which unswervingly or ultimately affects all the plant activities, for instance, internal water balance, photosynthesis, etc.

Kinds of Water Absorption in Plants

Plants characteristically soak up water by the subsequent two methods:

• Active Absorption of Water

This kind of water absorption necessitates the outflow of metabolic energy through the root cells to execute metabolic activities such as respiration. Active absorption in plants happens in two methods, specifically osmotic and nonosmotic.

1. Osmotic active absorption of water: In this kind, the water absorption happens by osmosis, where the water travels into the root xylem through the concentration slope of the root cell. The osmotic progress is because of the high application of solute in the cell sap and the short concentration of the nearby soil.

2. Non-osmotic active absorption of water: In this, the water absorption happens where the water penetrates the cell from the soil next to the application gradient of the cell. This necessitates the spending of metabolic energy via the respiration procedure. Therefore, as the rate of respiration augments, the rate of water absorption will as well boost. 

• Passive Absorption of Water

This kind of water absorption does not necessitate the usage of metabolic energy. The absorption happens through metabolic movement such as transpiration. Passive absorption is the kind where the water absorption is by the transpiration pull. This produces tension or force that assists in the shifting of water upwards into the xylem sap. Greater the transpiration rate and greater the absorption of water.

Mechanism of Water Absorption in Plants

The progress of water from the soil to the root xylem happens via the subsequent phases:

1. In the initial step, the root hairs of the plant would soak up the water from the nearby soil via the procedure of osmosis. The soil contains great water application compared to the cell sap. So, the water will travel from a great concentration to a short concentration pursuing osmosis by the cytoplasmic membrane of the root hairs.

2. Once pierced into the root hair, the water will go through the epidermis or piliferous level of the root system.

3. Afterwards, the water will travel from the epidermis toward the root cortex. From the root cortex, the water would move via the endodermis, which contains passive and suberic cells. The additional movement of water is assisted by the passive cells.

4. Subsequently, water travels from the pericycle toward the root xylem, i.e. protoxylem and metaxylem. Water would be accumulated in the xylem root method, which could be used by the plant body to execute different metabolic activities and their development.

There are two aspects that affect the action of water absorption.

Extrinsic factors: It comprises external factors like:

• Soil water: Soil bears five kinds of water, of which the capillary water is helpful for the organic movement of the plant

• The focus of soil solution: The application of soil should be less

• If there prevails a great concentration of soil, subsequently it will be known as physiologically dry soil

• Greatly concentrated or dry soil creates the water absorption complex

• Soil air: There must be space amid the soil particles for the appropriate air supply

• If the capacity of oxygen is less, afterwards, the measure of carbon dioxide will be additional, which results in anaerobic respiration

• Soil temperature: The most favourable temperature is 20- 35 degrees Celsius

Intrinsic factors: It comprises the metabolic movements such as transcription and respiration and the number of root hairs that directly affect the rate of water absorption.

Conclusion

Consequently, water absorption in plants happens via the root hairs that bear the water there in the soil and creates a region known as the root hair zone. The root hairs soak up water via their wall that is water-loving “Hydrophilic” in character. Consequently, the great permeability of root hairs to the water will assist in the uptaking of water either via osmosis or transpiration.