active transport

• root hairs use active transport to absorb minerals:

  • each root is covered in millions of hairs that give a plant a large surface area
  • mineral ions are needed for heathly plant growth
  • minerals have a higher concentration in root hair cells and a lower concentration in the soil around them, so they have to use active transport (against a concentration gradient) but it needs energy from respiration
• active transport is used when theres a lower concentration of nutrients (e.g amino acids, glucose) in the gut than the blood, when this happens the concentration gradient goes the wrong way and nutrients would naturally diffuse out of the blood, to prevent this active transport is used.