What are Photosynthates examples?

Once green shoots and leaves are growing, plants are able to produce their own food by photosynthesizing. For example, the highest leaves will send photosynthates upward to the growing shoot tip, whereas lower leaves will direct photosynthates downward to the roots.

What are Photosynthates used for?

Photosynthate has four major fates or uses: growth, storage, expenditure for tissue maintenance [mostly protein turnover (Penning de Vries et al., 1974) and ion balance against leakage], and expenditure for operation (root ion uptake, especially).

What is photo assimilation?

In botany, a photoassimilate is one of a number of biological compounds formed by assimilation using light-dependent reactions. This term is most commonly used to refer to the energy-storing monosaccharides produced by photosynthesis in the leaves of plants.

What is a source in translocation?

The source is where the organic compounds are synthesised – this is the photosynthetic tissues (leaves) The sink is where the compounds are delivered to for use or storage – this includes roots, fruits and seeds.

How are Photosynthates transported in plants?

Translocation: Transport from Source to Sink. Photosynthates are produced in the mesophyll cells of photosynthesizing leaves. From there, they are translocated through the phloem where they are used or stored. Photosynthates move through plasmodesmata to reach phloem sieve-tube elements (STEs) in the vascular bundles.

Which cells are responsible for the movement of Photosynthates through a plant?

Mesophyll cells are connected by cytoplasmic channels called plasmodesmata. Photosynthates move through these channels to reach phloem sieve-tube elements (STEs) in the vascular bundles. From the mesophyll cells, the photosynthates are loaded into the phloem STEs.

How many types of photoassimilates are there?

13.1 There are two modes of phloem loading. Photoassimilates generated in the mesophyll cells, such as sucrose, various oligosaccharides, polyols as well as amino acids, diffuse via plasmodesmata to the bundle sheath cells.

What is phloem translocation?

Plants need an energy source to grow. Sugars produced in sources, such as leaves, need to be delivered to growing parts of the plant via the phloem in a process called translocation, or movement of sugar. The points of sugar delivery, such as roots, young shoots, and developing seeds, are called sinks.

How Photosynthates water and nutrients are transported in plants?

Photosynthates (mainly sucrose) move from sources to sinks through the plant’s phloem. Sucrose is actively loaded into the sieve-tube elements of the phloem. The increased solute concentration causes water to move by osmosis from the xylem into the phloem.

What is translocation plant?

Translocation is the movement of materials in plants from the leaves to other parts of the plant. Nutrients, mainly sugars, are created in the leaves during photosynthesis. These are then transported throughout the plant through phloem, which are a long series of connected cells.