p. 452 Water and Plant Cells
- Lincoln Taiz, Lincoln TaizUniversity of California, Santa Cruz
- Eduardo Zeiger, Eduardo ZeigerUniversity of California, Los Angeles
- Ian Max MøllerIan Max MøllerAarhus University, Denmark
- , and Angus MurphyAngus MurphyUniversity of Maryland
Abstract
This chapter discusses how water plays a crucial role in the life of the plant. Photosynthesis requires that plants draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and at the same time exposes them to water loss and the threat of dehydration. To prevent leaf desiccation, water must be absorbed by the roots and transported through the plant body. Even slight imbalances between the uptake and transport of water and the loss of water to the atmosphere can cause water deficits and severe malfunctioning of many cellular processes. The chapter then considers how water moves into and out of plant cells, emphasizing the molecular properties of water and the physical forces that influence water movement at the cell level. It looks at how cell walls allow plant cells to build up large internal hydrostatic pressures, called turgor pressure, and differentiates between diffusion and osmosis.
