Home > Science Experiments > Plants and Water - Standing up straight

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Standing up straight

Aside from providing a plant's basic food and water requirements, water maintains a plant cell's structure and shape. The visible sign that a plant has taken in enough water is when it stands up straight and shows no sign of limpness.

In a plant cell the membrane is surrounded by a rigid cell wallA tough outer covering over the cell membrane of bacteria and plant cells.. Inside the cell wall in the center of the plant cell there is a large, liquid compartment called a vacuoleAn enclosed, space-filling sac within plant cells containing mostly water and providing structural support for the cell. (pronounced VAK-yoo-ole). Vacuoles transport and store nutrients, waste products, and other molecules. A vacuole is also the area in the cell where water collects. When water enters the...

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1. Introduction
2. Rooting water flow
3. Standing up straight
4. Adapting to dry environments
5. Experiment 1 - Water Flow: How do varying solutions of water affect the amount of water a plant takes in and its turgor pressure?
6. Experiment 2 - Transpiration: How do different environmental conditions affect plants' rates of transpiration?
7. Design Your Own Experiment