How do you feel about transportation of water in huge trees? (AS6)

a. Water is absorbed by root hairs. From root hairs, enters into xylem due to root pressure.

b. Root pressure can push water upwards by not more than a few meters.

c. The magnitude of root pressure is less, and can push water from roots to leaves in small herbaceous plants.

d. However there are huge trees, as tall as 120 m high.

e. In such trees, water has to be pushed several meters upwards against earth’s gravitational pull.

f. Water is absorbed by root hairs and is passed into the xylem vessels which form a continuous system of tubes through root and stem into the leaves.

g. About 98% of absorbed water is lost in the form of water vapours from the stomata present in the leaves.

h. This process is called transpiration. The transpiration creates the main pull in the xylem column.

i. As a result movement of water is continued in a continuous column from the site of absorption to the site of loss. In this way water go up to the very tall trees such as eucalyptus.