Tag: botany

Osmotic pressure is the pressure responsible for osmosis in the plant. Osmotic pressure depends on the concentration of solute particles in the cell sap. More the concentration of solute particles more the osmotic pressure. The osmotic pressure of cell sap can never be zero, because always there will be some or the other solute particles present in the cell sap. 

DPD stands for diffusion pressure deficit. The deficit in diffusion pressure depends on the number of solute particles present in the system. In a plant body, water moves from a region of low DPD to a region of high DPD. This is understandable because low DPD means low solute concentration or high concentration of solvent molecules and vice versa for high DPD.

The amount by which the diffusion pressure of a solution is lower than that of the pure solvent is called as 'diffusion pressure deficit' (DPD). The term diffusion pressure deficit (DPD) was coined by B.S Meyer in 1938. Originally DPD was described as suction pressure by Renner (1915).

When a cell is immersed in water, then water enter into the cell because the osmotic pressure of the cell sap is higher. The cell content develops a pressure against the cell wall, which is called turgor pressure. If the given solution is of 25% concentration; then it can not represent TP(turgor pressure) because pressure cannot be expressed in terms of concentration.

In a fully turgid cell there will be no net movement of water. Neither water will move inside nor move outside. This is because DPD will be zero. DPD can be zero, when the osmotic pressure, which causes movement of water inside the cell equals to turgor pressure, which opposes the entry of water inside the cell.

When the mesophyll cells lose water the concentration of solutes will increase. Consequently, the OP will increase concomitantly, there will be a drop in turgor and TP will decrease. These changes will increase the DPD. Water moves from lower DPD to higher DPD, thus, water will gain entry into the cells, whose DPD has increased.

Answer is option B i.e. "OP"
Hypotonic solution is one in which the solution kept outside the cell has lower solute concentration than the fluid inside the cell. The process being investigated is osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane from a more dilute solution (with a lower solute concentration) to a less dilute solution (with a higher solute concentration). Therefore cell absorbs or sucks water with a force equal to O.P

Diffusion Pressure Deficit = osmotic pressure - wall pressure. Wall pressure is the same as Turgor pressure. When a cell is placed in a hypotonic solution water enters the cell. Hence its osmotic pressure decreases and the turgor pressure increases. In a fully turgid cell the turgor pressure becomes equal to the osmotic pressure. Hence the Diffusion Pressure Deficit becomes zero in a turgid cell. Thus the correct answer is option B.