VASCULAR PLANTS The largest group in the Plant Kingdom

Have a well- developed system for transporting water and food Have true roots Have stems Have leaves

Have tube-like structures that provide support and help circulate water and food throughout the plant.

● Xylem transport water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant. ● Phloem transport food from the leaves to the rest of the plant.

Examples include trees and many shrubs with woody stems that grow very tall and grasses, dandelions, and tomato plants with soft stems.

Plants can be 300’ tall and parts can be distant from water source

Basic structure of the xylem and phloem

Basic structure of xylem & phloem

Adhesion/cohesion of water in the xylem tissue

● Transpiration from leaves as the driving force for water going up

DIFFUSION Diffusion is the movement of particles (atoms, ions or molecules) from a region in which they are in higher concentration to regions of lower concentration. A good example of diffusion is food colouring. If you place a drop of red food colouring in a beaker of water eventually the entire beaker of water will have a red tint. The food colouring moved through the water until it was equally distributed throughout the beaker. Diffusion takes place along a concentration gradient. A concentration gradient exists until the diffused substance is evenly distributed.

Diffusion

OSMOSIS Osmosis is a special example of diffusion. It is the diffusion of a substance through a semipermeable membrane from a more dilute solution to a more concentrated solution. This process is also passive since no external energy is needed.

Osmosis in plants

*Carbon dioxide entering the stomata of leaves. * Oxygen diffusing out of the stomata and lenticels of leaves.

Diffusion of water from environment to roots