Question

As an avid gardener, you know that if you fail to water your plants, they will wilt and perhaps die. Other than lack of nutrients, you know that water is key to maintaining the plant’s cells shapes. Use osmosis to explain why plants do best when watered with 100% water regularly.

Answer 1

Osmosis is the movement of solvent molecules from a region of high concentration to a region of lower concentration through a semi permeable membrane (SPM). In case of plants, plasma membrane acts as an SPM, through which solvent molecules can enter or exit the cell.

By measuring soil moisture, we can tell whether is the moisture availability to the plants is optimum, poor or high.

If we add an optimum amount of water regularly to the plants, than plants show an optimum growth. This is the case of plant cell solution being isotonic.

If water logging occurs, ie, water amount increases, then this water will enter inside the cells and the cells will swell up. If this continues then cell will not burst but only swell due to presence of a tough cell wall, which prevents it from bursting. This is the case of plant cell solution being hypertonic.

If water level in soil is less, then, less water will be in soil as compared to plant cell. This is cause movement of water from plant cell to soil, resulting in shrinking of cell and eventually death. The plant will not be able to perform its metabolic activities. This is the case of plant cell solution being hypotonic.

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