Translocation

• What is translocation?

  The movement of solutes to where they are needed in a plant
• what are solutes sometimes called?

  Assimilates
• give 2 details about translocation?


  • energy-requiring process
  • Happens in phloem
• what does translocation do?

  moves solutes from 'sources' to 'sinks'
• what is the source of a solute?


  where it is made (the solute is at a high conc there)
• What is the sink?


  the area where a solute is used up (so the solute is at a lower conc there)
• How do enzymes maintain a conc gradient from the source to the sink?

  By changing the solutes at the sink (eg by breaking them down or making them into something else)

  This makes sure there is always a lower conc at the sink than at the source