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International Agrophysics
publisher:Institute of Agrophysics
Polish Academy of Sciences
Lublin, Poland
ISSN: 0236-8722


vol. 9, nr. 3 (1995)

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About the biophysical mechanisms of the long-distance water translocation in plants
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M. Kargol1, T. Kosztołowicz1, S. Przestalski2
1 Institute of Physics, Pedagogicał University, Leśna 16,25-509 Kielce, Poland
2 Department of Physics and Biophysics, Agricultural University of Wrocław, Norwida 25,50-375 Wrocław, Poland

vol. 9 (1995), nr. 3, pp. 243-255
abstract The present work discusses the basie mechanisms of water translocation on the so-called long distances. The translocation includes: transfer of water and minerał components across the root (from the soil to the xylem tracheary elements); transport of water through the xylem (along the plant); permeation of water across the leaf tissue, where most of it evaporates into the atmos-phere; and the phloem transport of water and assimilates. The last type of long-distance transport of water oceurs in opposite direetion to its xylem transport. It has been shown that the long-distance transport of water is mutually connected at its various stages, and their mechanisms are numerous and operative in various parts of the plant. Es-pecially broad coverage has been given in this work to fur-ther development of the so-called graviosmotic hypothesis, according to which water might be transported along the xylem vessels by using the graviosmotic mechanisms. This presentation is concemed with that version of the hypothesis which is based on the gravidiffusive mechanism ofgraviosmosis.
keywords plant s, water, minerał components, assimilates, transport mechanisms