LABORATORY 9. TRANSPIRATION
OVERVIEW
In this laboratory, you will apply what you learned about water potential from
Laboratory 1 (Diffusion and Osmosis) to the movement of water within the plant. You will
measure transpiration under different laboratory conditions. You also will study the
organization of the plant stem and leaf as it relates to these processes by observing
sections of tissue.
OBJECTIVES
Section A: Before doing this laboratory you should understand:
- how water moves from roots to leaves in terms of physical/chemical properties of water
and the forces provided by differences in water potential
- the role of transpiration in the transport of water within a plant
- the structures used by plants to transport water and regulate water movement
Section B: In this experiment, you will:
- observe how transpiration relates to the overall process of water transport in plants.
- use a computer interface and a gas pressure sensor to measure the rate of transpiration.
- determine the effect of light intensity on the rate of transpiration of a plant cutting.
- determine the effect of humidity on the rate of transpiration of a plant cutting.
- determine the effect of wind on the rate of transpiration of a plant cutting.
- determine the effect of temperature on the rate of transpiration of a plant cutting.
LAB GUIDE
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click on the lab title below.
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Lab9-Transpiration.doc (55K)
