Question

Plant physiology questions

To be completed and turned in next week: POST-LAB QUESTIONS: 1. If a potato core is allowed to dehydrate by sitting in the open air, would the water potential of the potato cells decrease or increase? Why? 2. If a plant cell has a lower water potential than its surrounding environment and if pressure is equal to zero, is the cell hypertonic (Gn terms of solute concentration) or hypotonic to its environment? Will the cell gain or lose water? Explain 3. What would happen if you applied saltwater to the roots of a plant? Why? 4. Will water move into or out of a plant cell if the cell has a higher water potentfal than the surrounding environment? 5. What is the solute concentration of both the potato?

Answer 1

Answers:

1. If a potato core is allowed to dehydrate by sitting out inthe air than the potato will lose water and thus the water potential will decrease. Because as potato cells dehydrate the concentration of solutes within the cells increase. So,water potential and osmotic pressure both decrease.

2. If a plant cell has a lower water potential than its surrounding environment and if it's cell pressure is equal to zero than the cell will be hypertonic because the plant cell has a higher solute potential than its surrounding environment which means that the surrounding environment has a higher water potential and as a result water from the surrounding will move into the cell by the process of osmosis and the cell will be hypotonic. And the cell will gain water.( A low water potential=more solute)

3. if we apply saltwater to the roots of a plant than it would cause the plant to wilt. Because adding saltwater to roots will create a hypertonic solution inthe roots of the plant. Water would move out of the cells because of concentration gradient and the cells of the plant will start to shrivel up.

4. If the cell has a higher water potential than the surrounding environment than the water will move out of a plant cell as it will be in a hypertonic solution.