Why do plants transpire

Why do plants transpire

Plants have many interesting facts surrounding them, such as how plants make their own food, how plant respires and how growth and development takes place in plants. One interesting fact about plants is the process of transpiration.

Transpiration is a common activity in growing plants as water is continuously evaporating from leaves when exposed to air. This amount of evaporated water is replaced by additional water from soil. The water from the leaves is converted into gas via evaporation. Transpiration is the process that helps the plant by providing cool, nutrient uptake and balanced amount of carbon dioxide intake.

If you are thinking how conversion of water into gas helps in evaporative cooling, then the fact is that when water from the leaf surface is converted into gas, then a certain amount of exothermic energy is released into the atmosphere thereby cooling the plant.

Transpiration does help in nutrient uptake – when the water is evaporated from the leaves then additional water is supplied by the roots which ensure the entry of many important nutrients.

One vital fact about transpiration process is that it helps in carbon dioxide intake. When a plant undergoes transpiration process, it opens up the stomata and allows gas exchange between the atmosphere and the leaf. Opening the stomata allows the water vapor to leave the plant but helps carbon dioxide to enter which is crucial for the process of photosynthesis.

Transpiration helps in water uptake, as only five percent or lesser amount of water remains after its intake from the root but the water is quite essential for many functions and biochemical processes.

So, in simple words transpiration is quite an important process as it helps plant to take up the required amount of water for several functions. In case plants takes up more water than it transpires then the result can been seen as dew drops on leaves.