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Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

Responses to Salt Stress

Responses to Salt Stress

Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the epidermis of plant leaves is the site of this exchange of gasses. A single opening is called a stoma—derived from the Greek word for “mouth.” Stomata open and close in response to a variety of environmental cues.

Plant Hormones

Plant Hormones

Plant hormones—or phytohormones—are chemical molecules that modulate one or more physiological processes of a plant. In animals, hormones are often produced in specific glands and circulated via the circulatory system. However, plants lack hormone-producing glands.

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Updated: Mar 31, 2026

A Seed Coat Bedding Assay to Genetically Explore In Vitro How the Endosperm Controls Seed Germination in Arabidopsis thaliana

A Seed Coat Bedding Assay to Genetically Explore In Vitro How the Endosperm Controls Seed Germination in Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: November 9, 2013

Shoot-derived abscisic acid promotes root growth.

Scott A M McAdam¹, Timothy J Brodribb¹, John J Ross¹

¹School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia.

Plant, Cell & Environment

|October 31, 2015

Summary

Foliage-derived abscisic acid (ABA) controls root growth and development in plants, influencing both overall root elongation and lateral root formation. Leaf hydration, not root hydration, is the primary signal for plant moisture responses.

Keywords:

abscisic acid (ABA)auxin (IAA)lateral roots pea shoot-to-root signalling tomato

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Last Updated: Mar 31, 2026

A Seed Coat Bedding Assay to Genetically Explore In Vitro How the Endosperm Controls Seed Germination in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Published on: November 9, 2013

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Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Published on: January 14, 2016

Area of Science:

Plant Physiology
Plant Hormones
Root Biology

Background:

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key phytohormone regulating plant growth, particularly root development.
Previous research primarily focused on root-sourced ABA's role during water stress.
The influence of foliage-derived ABA on root growth under well-watered conditions remained largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the transport of foliage-derived ABA to plant roots.
To determine the effect of leaf-synthesized ABA on root growth under normal hydration.
To elucidate the mechanism by which foliar ABA influences root architecture.

Main Methods:

Application of deuterium-labeled ABA to foliage.
Reciprocal grafting experiments between wild-type and ABA-biosynthetic mutant plants.
Measurement of root ABA levels and analysis of root growth parameters.

Main Results:

Foliage-derived ABA significantly influences root ABA levels and overall root growth in angiosperms.
Leaf-synthesized ABA promotes root elongation relative to shoot growth.
Foliage-derived ABA inhibits lateral root development, potentially mediated by increased root auxin (IAA) levels.

Conclusions:

Root growth and ABA levels are primarily regulated by ABA synthesized in the leaves, not the roots.
Foliage-derived ABA plays a crucial role in root morphology beyond stomatal control.
Leaf hydration status, rather than root hydration, is the principal signal governing plant responses to moisture, with implications for crop management.