Bio Lab Report
Biology Laboratory Report MEASURING RATE OF WATER UPTAKE BY A PLANT SHOOT USING A POTOMETER
Introduction
All plants need salts minerals, water, CO2 and O2. To fulfill their requirements different plants use different ways. Lower plants use diffusion, however higher plants use vascular tissue that is located in the middle of the root and in the vascular bundles in the stem.
The transpiration is the important process in the plant. The main reason is that transportation is the loss of water through vaporization and it helps to minerals and ions to be absorbed, also it helps water and minerals to flow from root to upper part of plant. Second important reason is that transpiration process helps to ‘cool’ the plants. Transpiration rate depends on 2 issues, first is the gradient in humidity from the leaf’s internal air spaces to the outside air and the diffusion resistance provided by the stomata pores. One way to measure the rate of transpiration in plants is by using a photometer. In this practical photometer will be used as device to measure the rate at which water enters a leaf shoot.
The rate at which water enters a plant depends on the rate at which it evaporates from the leaves, for instance transpired into surrounding atmosphere. Also, in the shoot, the water could stay in the cells, or be used in photosynthesis and assimilated into carbohydrate, or it could be passed on up the xylem to the leaf tissue. Any external conditions which affect the rate of transportation will be expected to effect on the rate of water uptake. In this practical different effects of external conditions on rate of water uptake of plant.
Factors affecting transpiration: * High light intensity (bright sunlight) * Increased/decreased temperatures (hot/ cold weather) * Wind * Low humidity (dry conditions)
Aim:
The aim of this practical is to assess the effect of different environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, wind speed, light
Introduction
All plants need salts minerals, water, CO2 and O2. To fulfill their requirements different plants use different ways. Lower plants use diffusion, however higher plants use vascular tissue that is located in the middle of the root and in the vascular bundles in the stem.
The transpiration is the important process in the plant. The main reason is that transportation is the loss of water through vaporization and it helps to minerals and ions to be absorbed, also it helps water and minerals to flow from root to upper part of plant. Second important reason is that transpiration process helps to ‘cool’ the plants. Transpiration rate depends on 2 issues, first is the gradient in humidity from the leaf’s internal air spaces to the outside air and the diffusion resistance provided by the stomata pores. One way to measure the rate of transpiration in plants is by using a photometer. In this practical photometer will be used as device to measure the rate at which water enters a leaf shoot.
The rate at which water enters a plant depends on the rate at which it evaporates from the leaves, for instance transpired into surrounding atmosphere. Also, in the shoot, the water could stay in the cells, or be used in photosynthesis and assimilated into carbohydrate, or it could be passed on up the xylem to the leaf tissue. Any external conditions which affect the rate of transportation will be expected to effect on the rate of water uptake. In this practical different effects of external conditions on rate of water uptake of plant.
Factors affecting transpiration: * High light intensity (bright sunlight) * Increased/decreased temperatures (hot/ cold weather) * Wind * Low humidity (dry conditions)
Aim:
The aim of this practical is to assess the effect of different environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, wind speed, light