Introduction

Water is an essential ingredient for the survival of every living organism on earth, and plants are no exception. However, unlike animals, plants can't move to find water, so they have evolved a unique system to uptake and transport water throughout their structure. Cohesion and adhesion are two essential properties that enable plants to move water through their structures. In this article, we will discuss how these two properties help plants move water.

What is Cohesion?

Cohesion is the property of water that allows the water molecules to stick together. Hydrogen bonds hold water molecules together, making them cohesive. Cohesion arises because of the polarity of water molecules. The oxygen atom in water molecules has a slight negative charge, whereas the hydrogen atoms have a slight positive charge, making them polar. As a result, when water molecules come into contact, the positive and negative charges attract each other, causing the water molecules to stick together.

What is Adhesion?

Adhesion is the property of water that allows it to stick to other materials. Water can adhere to many substances, such as soil particles or the interior walls of plant tissues. Just like cohesion, adhesion arises because of the polarity of water molecules. When water molecules come into contact with other materials, the charges on the water molecules interact with the charges on the other material, causing the water to stick to the other material.

How Do Cohesion and Adhesion Help Plants?

Cohesion and adhesion work together to help plants move water from their roots to their leaves. When plants absorb water from the soil, cohesion between the water molecules holds them together as a single column of water. This column of water is pulled up through the plant's xylem by negative pressure generated by transpiration. Transpiration is the process by which water evaporates from leaves, creating a negative pressure that pulls water up through the plant.

Adhesion helps the column of water adhere to the walls of the xylem vessels, preventing the water from collapsing in on itself due to gravity. The hydrophilic walls of the xylem vessel create an attraction between the water and the vessel's walls, allowing the water to adhere to the walls and travel upwards.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cohesion and adhesion are two crucial properties that enable plants to move water throughout their structures. These properties allow plants to absorb water from the soil and move it up to their leaves, where it is used for photosynthesis and other essential processes. Without cohesion and adhesion, plants would be unable to move water against the force of gravity and would probably collapse. Thus, cohesion and adhesion play a vital role in the survival and growth of plants on earth.