Monday, March 21, 2011

2.54 Transpiration



- Evaporation (liquid  ---heat (sunlight) ---> gas) - through the stomatal pores 
- Water taken up in roots (osmosis) - travels up stem - out through petiole - evaporation in leaf 
- Sunlight warms the leaf allowing evaporation to take place so it can escape 
- Not all sunlight is absorbed by chloroplasts some absorbed by other cell structures creating heat 
- Water through xylem - moves through mesophyll - just above stomatal pore (little pocket) is where the phase change occurs from liquid to gas 
- Water vapor gas diffuses through the pores - steep diffusion gradient 

1 comment:

  1. just be be clear:

    Heat causes the phase change to water vapour

    Water vapour creates a 100% humidity in the spongy mesophyll space above the pore

    The water vapour diffuses through the pore down a very steep gradient.

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