Limiting Water Loss in Plants

OCR AS-level BiologyMass Transport in PlantsLesson 17 of 18

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:

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diffusion: The net movement of molecules or ions from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration, down a concentration gradient.
water potential: A measure of the tendency of water molecules to move out of a solution; pure water has a water potential of zero and adding solute lowers it.
surface area to volume ratio: The ratio of an organism's outer surface area to its volume; it decreases as size increases, which limits the rate of exchange achievable by diffusion alone.
transpiration: The evaporation of water from the surface of a plant, mainly through the stomata of the leaves.