Understanding Xylem & Transpiration: Cohesion-Tension Model, Slides of Physiology

The cohesion-tension (ct) model is the widely accepted explanation for water transport through the xylem in plants. This model involves the generation of a negative pressure or tension in leaf cell walls due to transpiration, which is then transmitted to water in adjacent xylem and throughout the plant to the roots and soil. Transpiration, the diffusion of water vapor from the internal air spaces of leaves out through the stomatal pores, plays a crucial role in local and global hydrological cycles, moving vast quantities of water from soils back to the atmosphere, and influencing energy balance through the cooling effect of evaporation. The ct model in detail, including the concept of stomatal resistance and the various factors that influence water movement in plants.