Practice explaining the roles of xylem, phloem, and transpiration while interpreting simple plant transport data.

Read each problem carefully. Use complete sentences when explaining your thinking. Show calculations when a problem includes data.

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How plants move water, minerals, and sugars

Biology - Grade 6-8

Instructions: Read each problem carefully. Use complete sentences when explaining your thinking. Show calculations when a problem includes data.
  1. 1
    Plant diagram showing blue arrows moving water upward from roots to leaves.

    A plant needs to move water from its roots to its leaves. Which plant tissue does this job, and what else does it usually carry?

  2. 2
    Plant diagram showing orange arrows moving sugar from leaves to roots and fruit.

    A plant makes sugar in its leaves during photosynthesis. Which plant tissue moves the sugar to other parts of the plant, such as roots and fruits?

  3. 3
    Stem cross section showing inner blue transport tissue and outer orange transport tissue.

    Label the two transport tissues in a stem cross section. Tissue A is closer to the inside of the stem and tissue B is closer to the outside. In many stems, xylem is inside and phloem is outside. Identify A and B.

  4. 4
    Water vapor leaving leaves pulls water upward through a plant.

    Explain how transpiration helps pull water upward through a plant.

  5. 5
    Celery stalk in red water with red lines running through the stalk and leaves.

    A student places a leafy celery stalk in red-colored water overnight. The next day, red lines appear in the celery stalk and leaves. Which tissue became colored, and what does this show?

  6. 6

    Study the data: Plant A lost 6 mL of water in 1 hour, Plant B lost 3 mL of water in 1 hour, and Plant C lost 9 mL of water in 1 hour. Which plant had the greatest transpiration rate?

  7. 7

    A plant loses 12 mL of water over 4 hours. Calculate its transpiration rate in mL per hour.

  8. 8

    A class compares transpiration under two conditions. Plant 1 is kept in still air and loses 4 mL of water in 2 hours. Plant 2 is placed near a fan and loses 10 mL of water in 2 hours. What does the data suggest about wind and transpiration?

  9. 9

    Use the table: Low light, 2 mL lost per hour; medium light, 5 mL lost per hour; bright light, 8 mL lost per hour. Describe the pattern in the data.

  10. 10
    Closed stomata on a leaf reduce water vapor loss.

    A plant's stomata close during very dry conditions. Explain how this helps the plant survive.

  11. 11
    Hot sunny conditions show more water vapor leaving a plant than cool cloudy conditions.

    Why can a hot, sunny day cause a plant to lose water faster than a cool, cloudy day?

  12. 12
    Different plant transport tissues move water upward and sugar to other parts.

    A student says, "Xylem and phloem both move materials, so they do the same job." Explain why this statement is not correct.

  13. 13

    The graph shows water loss from a plant over time: 0 hours, 0 mL; 1 hour, 2 mL; 2 hours, 4 mL; 3 hours, 6 mL; 4 hours, 8 mL. What is the plant's transpiration rate?

  14. 14
    A plant with many large leaves loses more water vapor than a plant with few small leaves.

    A plant with many large leaves usually loses more water than a plant with a few small leaves. Explain why leaf size and number can affect transpiration.

  15. 15
    Two similar plant setups compare transpiration in humid and normal air conditions.

    Design a simple investigation to test how humidity affects transpiration. Include the variable you would change, what you would measure, and one thing you would keep the same.

LivePhysics™.com Biology - Grade 6-8