Question

Give the biological/technical term for the following:

(c) The phenomenon by which living or dead plant cells absorb water by surface attraction.

Answer 1

Imbibition:

1. The phenomenon by which living or dead cells absorb water by surface attraction is known as imbibition.
2. It is the process by which living or dead plant cells in a dry or semi-dry state absorb water by the surface attraction caused by the presence of certain hygroscopic substances in the cell wall such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin.
3. It is an important process responsible for seed germination.