Question

Study the diagram given below and answer the questions that follows:
(a) Name the process being studied in the above experiment.
(b) Explain the process mentioned in (a) above.
(c) Why is oil placed over water?
(d) Mention any three adaptations found in plants to foster the process mentioned in (a) above

Answer 1

(a) The process studied in the above experiment is water absorption by plant roots through osmosis.
(b) Take a test tube (A) filled with water. Pull out a young leafy plant (such as Balsam) from the soil with its roots intact. Insert the roots into the test tube soon. Put a few drops of oil in the test tube to prevent any loss of water by evaporation. Mark the level of water. In a day or two, you will find that the level of water in the test tube (A) falls, proving that water lost in the test tube was absorbed by the roots.
(c) Oil is placed over water in the test tube to prevent any loss of water by evaporation.
(d) 1. Large surface area provided by rootlets and root hairs
2. Loss of leaves
3. Root hairs with thin walls