Question

The movement of nutrients into the vascular stele sometimes requires energy from:

Answer 1

The movement of nutrients into the vascular stele sometimes requires energy from ATP, particularly for active transport, which uses pump proteins to move nutrients against an electrochemical gradient. Plant structures such as xylem and phloem are involved in the transport of water and nutrients, with energy-requiring processes occurring in situations such as nutrient uptake by root cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

The movement of nutrients into the vascular stele sometimes requires energy that is derived from adenosine triphosphate (ATP). An important process that involves this energy use is known as active transport. This process utilizes specific proteins, often referred to as pumps, to move nutrients against an electrochemical gradient. These pumps are crucial for the cellular uptake of nutrients, allowing cells to accumulate them in higher concentrations than would be possible by passive diffusion alone. The energy from ATP is needed to change the conformation of these pump proteins, effectively enabling them to transport ions such as cations across the cell membrane.

Within plants, the transport of water, nutrients, and photosynthates is facilitated by the structure of plant roots, stems, and leaves, and specifically through the vascular tissues known as xylem and phloem. While bulk flow in the xylem can occur due to transpiration pull and is generally a passive process, active transport is necessary when cells need to accumulate nutrients from the soil into root cells or from the apoplast into the symplast of the vascular stele.

Additionally, plant structures such as the phloem sieve tube elements (STE) and their associated companion cells are involved in nutrient transportation. Companion cells play a key role in assisting with metabolic activities and providing energy for the STEs, which is essential for the pressure-driven bulk flow, or translocation, of phloem sap.

Answer 2

The movement of nutrients into the vascular stele requires energy, unlike the movement of water that does not require energy. This energy is provided by the phloem. Sugars are produced in the leafs, as part of the photosynthesis process, so whenever a new root is growing, or a fruit needs to grow, the phloem gets in action. With the help of the water the sugars get in the phloem, which can most simply be seen as an elevator inside the plant, that is moving nutrients up and down, on the places in which they are most needed.