Munch hypothesis is based on
Translocation of food due to turgor pressure (TP) gradient
Munch hypothesis is based on translocation of food due to turgor pressure (TP) gradient. It is also called mass-flow hypothesis. It was proposed by Ernst Munch, a German plant Physiologist, in 1930. According to this hypothesis, organic solutes are transported from the source to the sink (destination) in a plant by the mass flow process. Glucose synthesized in the leaves is converted to sucrose. The sucrose is then moves to the sieve tube cells by active transport. This causes inflow of water from the xylem, thus increasing the hydrostatic pressure, which can also be called the turgor pressure. The solution in the phloem then moves to the sink which has a lower turgor pressure. At the sink, the sucrose is actively transported out from the phloem.