4.5.1: Water Transport

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-SA 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Water potential, transpiration, and stomatal regulation influence how water and nutrients are transported in plants. Water potential refers to the potential energy in water, and water moves towards the areas with the lowest water potential. Water is ultimately pulled to the top of the plant (cohesion-tension theory), and lost through transpiration through stomata. Complex mechanisms control stomatal opening and closure. Both adaptations that increase absorption of water through the roots (Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)) and those that limit transpiration ensure that plants collect and retain enough water.

    Roots hairs of soybean fluoresce under the microscope when stained with Nile red.
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Microscope of stained root hairs of the soybean. Roots hairs are an example of an adaptation that increases water absorption. Image by Ihor Panas (CC-BY-SA).

    Attribution

    Curated and authored by Melissa Ha using 30.5 Transport of Water and Solutes in Plants from Biology 2e by OpenStax (licensed CC-BY). Access for free at openstax.org.

    This page titled 4.5.1: Water Transport was last modified on Mon, 28 Jul 2025 22:12:34 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Melissa Ha, Maria Morrow, and Kammy Algiers (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative) .