What is guttation? How does this happen, how is it different from transpiration? If you are interested in these questions and want to get to the root of this process, read on.
You can look at the plant and assume that it functions quite simply. It takes water and uses photosynthesis for growth. Although this is true, plants also have a secret life, where their survival depends on the balance of water and nutrients. One of the ways in which the volume of water is balanced is through guttation.
The process of gutting in biology
Gutting occurs in vascular plants such as grass, wheat, barley, tomatoes, strawberries and others. Since it depends on pressure, it cannot be observed in large plants, such as trees, because the pressure required to displace water is too high. Gutting is when water is released from the ends of plant leaves. Typically, this process occurs at night when the soil is very moist and the roots absorb water. If there is too much water, then the pressure of the root displaces water from the plant itself.
Guttation and transpiration
What is guttation in biology? How does it differ from transpiration? Because water is vital to plants, many buzzwords related to plants are related to water. Guttation and transpiration are two such words. Fortunately, there are some basic differences that can help you distinguish between them. Gutation occurs when stomata are closed, and transpiration occurs when they are open. Therefore, the first occurs at night or in the early morning, when it is cold and humid. Transpiration, on the other hand, occurs during the day when it is dry and warm. During transpiration, water is pushed out in the form of steam, while during guttation, the leaves secrete water or xylem of juice.
Hydatodes and stomata
The reason gutation occurs at night (as opposed to transpiration) is because transpiration is dependent on stomata. Stomata are pores on the surface of leaves. Plants also use stomata for photosynthesis, and since photosynthesis does not occur at night (after all, it cannot happen without the sun), stomata close.
The plant pushes water through other outlets called hydatodes. There are as many, but they cannot open and close like stomata. They simply allow water to slowly stand out from the plant. Hydatodes are sometimes called aquatic stomata, but they are more like pores.
Small droplets of liquid
Gutta is the appearance of small droplets of liquid on the leaves of plants (from lat. Gutta - drop). Some people notice this phenomenon on their indoor plants. This is a completely natural and harmless process. Plants collect a lot of moisture and the nutrients they need to survive through their roots. To move them up, the plant has tiny holes in leaves called stomata.
The evaporation of moisture through these openings creates a vacuum that pulls water and nutrients in the roots upward from gravity and throughout the plant. This process is called transpiration. Transpiration stops at night when the stomata closes, but the plant compensates for its needs through additional moisture through the roots and creates pressure to cause the nutrients to rise higher. Day or night, a constant movement occurs inside the plant.
So, when does gutation happen? A plant does not always require the same amount of moisture. At night, when the temperature drops or when the air is humid, less moisture evaporates from the leaves. However, the same amount of moisture is still stored in the root system. The pressure of this new moisture pushes the one already in the leaves, resulting in these small beads of water.
Is guttation and dew the same?
Guttation is a means of removing all kinds of unnecessary and even harmful substances. The plant thus gets rid of excess mineral salts and organic substances. Sometimes guttation is confused with dew drops on open plants. There is a difference between the two. Simply put, dew forms on the surface of a plant from the condensation of moisture in the air. Guttation, on the other hand, is moisture emanating from the plant itself.