Transport in plants

• Reasons why multicellular plants need transport systems:
• Metabolic demands:

  • Many cells that do not photosynthesize require oxygen and glucose and remove CO2 and waste products from metabolism
  • Mineral ions are required from the roots to make proteins
• Size:

  • Very large plants require effective transport mechanisms to move substances such as ions, water, and hormones from roots to leaves/stems and back
• Surface area to volume ratio:

  • Plants have a small surface area to volume ratio due to being multicellular
  • They cannot rely on diffusion alone to deliver oxygen and glucose quickly enough for their metabolic demands