In a plant, water travels from the roots to the leaves by which process?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the question: how does water move upward from roots to leaves in a plant?
Option 1: capillary action. Capillary action refers to the movement of liquid within narrow spaces due to adhesion to the surrounding surfaces and cohesion within the liquid. In plants, this mechanism helps water rise in tiny spaces and contributes to upward movement alongside other processes, making this option a plausible and commonly cited description of how water can travel through small conduits.
Option 2: osmosis. Osmosis is the net diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane from a region of higher water potential to lower water potential. While osmosis is essential at the cellular level for water balance, the bulk transport of water from roots to leaves through the plant’s vascular system cannot be fully explained by osmosis alone, since it involves movement through xylem vessels and is driven by transpiration and cohesive–adhesive forces, not simply by membrane water diffusion.
Option 3: gravitational forces. Gravitational forces act downward and would oppose upward movement of water in trees and other tall plants. Although gravity is a factor that must be overcome in tall plants, it is not the primary driving mechanism for the ascent of water from roots to leaves, so attributing the process mainly to gravity is incorrect.
Option 4: hydrostatic pressure difference. Hydrostatic pressure can influence fluid movement in some contexts, but in the plant’s xylem, the upward transport is driven largely by transpiration-induced tension (negative pressure) and cohesive–adhesive interactions, rather than a simple hydrostatic pressure difference pushing water upward. Therefore this option does not accurately describe the main mechanism.
In summary, option 1 best aligns with the concept of water rising through narrow channels by adhesion to surfaces and cohesion within the water, consistent with capillary action, while the other options either describe imperfect or incomplete explanations or point to mechanisms not primarily responsible for upward water transport in plants.

AGRI10046_2025_SM2 AGRI10046 PRACTICE exam

In a plant, water travels from the roots to the leaves by which process?

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