Q10 of 16 Page 11

What role does root pressure play in water movement in plants?

The positive pressure created by the flow of water, which increases the pressure inside the xylem is called root pressure. This root pressure only provides a modest push in the overall process of water transport. They obviously do not play a major role in water movement up tall trees. The greatest contribution of root pressure may be to re-establish the continuous chains of water molecules in the xylem, which often break under the enormous tensions created by transpiration. Root pressure does not account for the majority of water transport; most plants meet their need by transpiratory pull.

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