Limiting Water Loss in Plants

AQA AS-level BiologyExchange of GasesLesson 18 of 28

Plants need a large surface area to volume ratio to maximise photosynthesis and to capture as much light as possible.

Majority of water loss occurs through the leaves.

In order to reduce water loss:

Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz

BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.

diffusion: The net passive movement of molecules or ions from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration, down a concentration gradient.
water potential: The pressure created by water molecules, a measure of the tendency of water to move out of a solution; pure water has a water potential of zero and solutes make it more negative.
surface area to volume ratio: The ratio of an organism's or structure's external surface area to its total volume, which decreases as size increases.
transpiration: The evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant, which pulls water up through the xylem.