SAT II Biology E : Water and Nutrient Transport

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II Biology E

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Systems Biology

Which of the following contribute to the upward movement of water through the xylem and throughout the plant's tissues?

I. Transpiration

II. Adhesion

III. Cohesion 

Possible Answers:

III only

I, II, and III

I and II

I and III

I only

Correct answer:

I, II, and III

Explanation:

All three given properties contribute to water's motion up the xylem of a plant, as transpiration brings up the water through evaporation due to heat and sunlight. However, as water is a polar molecule and has properties of cohesion and adhesion, molecules of water stick together and resist forces that would push the water out of the plant. This dynamic is referred to as the cohesion-tension theory.

Example Question #2 : Systems Biology

In plant vascular tissue, ____________ is primarily used to transport water from the roots to the other organs of the plant, and ___________ is primarily used to transport nutrients such as sucrose to the organs of the plant.

Possible Answers:

xylem . . . phloem

dermal tissue . . . phloem

xylem . . . ground tissue

ground tissue . . . dermal tissue

phloem . . . xylem

Correct answer:

xylem . . . phloem

Explanation:

The correct answer is "xylem . . . phloem." Water and nutrients move from the roots through plant stem to the rest of the plant. Stems are made from three tissues: ground, dermal, and vascular. Vascular tissue is primarily divided into xylem, which primarily transports water, and phloem, which primarily transports sugars.

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