Question

Turgor pressure is always equal and opposite to

• A. Osmotic pressure.
• B. Wall pressure.
• C. Osmotic potential.
• D. Water potential.

Answer 1

The correct option is B

Wall pressure.

The correct option is B.

Explanation of the correct option:

1. The force exerted by fluid in a cell on the cell membrane against the cell wall is known as turgor pressure.
2. Turgor is a stiffening characteristic of living plant tissue.
3. Water loss from plant cells creates a decrease in turgor, which causes wilting of flowers and leaves.
4. Turgor pressure serves the following purposes: (i) It maintains the stretched state of cells and organelles. (ii) It encourages the development of non-woody tissues such as parenchyma.
5. The pressure exerted on the contents of a plant cell by the cell wall, which is equal to turgor pressure but in the opposite direction. It is the force exerted by the wall against the osmotic system's expansion.

Explanation of the incorrect options:

Option A:

1. The influence of osmotic pressure on cells is important. The net migration of solvent molecules through a partially permeable barrier into a location with a higher solute concentration is known as osmosis. The purpose of osmosis is to restore equilibrium between the solute concentrations on both sides.
2. Plants use active transport to concentrate solutes in their root cells, whereas osmosis enables water to reach the roots.
3. Osmosis regulates the movement of the guard cells.

Option C:

1. The ability of water molecules to move from a hypotonic to a hypertonic solution (more water, less solutes) over a semipermeable barrier is referred to as osmotic potential (less water, more solutes).
2. The rate at which plants absorb water is influenced by their osmotic potential.
3. Because of the significant solute content in the cytoplasm, the internal water potential of a plant cell is lower than pure water. Water will migrate from the soil into the root cells of a plant via osmosis as a result of the difference in water potential.

Option D:

1. The amount of potential energy in water that drives plant water movement is referred to as “water potential.”
2. Water potential is used by plants to move water to their leaves so that photosynthesis can occur.

Final answer: Turgor pressure is always equal and opposite to wall pressure.