The Physicochemical Hydrodynamics of Vascular Plants

• Abraham D. Stroock ^[1] ; Vinay V. Pagay ^[1] ; Maciej A. Zwieniecki ^[3] ; N. Michele Holbrook ^[2]
  1. [1] Cornell University

     Cornell University

     City of Ithaca, Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] Harvard University

     Harvard University

     City of Cambridge, Estados Unidos

     
  3. [3] University of California

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• Localización: Annual review of fluid mechanics, ISSN 0066-4189, Nº. 46, 2014, págs. 615-642
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Plants live dangerously, but gracefully. To remain hydrated, they exploit liquid water in the thermodynamically metastable state of negative pressure, similar to a rope under tension. This tension allows them to pull water out of the soil and up to their leaves. When this liquid rope breaks, owing to cavitation, they catch the ends to keep it from unraveling and then bind it back together. In parallel, they operate a second vascular system for the circulation of metabolites though their tissues, this time with positive pressures and flow that passes from leaf to root. In this article, we review the current state of understanding of water management in plants with an emphasis on the rich coupling of transport phenomena, thermodynamics, and active biological processes. We discuss efforts to replicate plant function in synthetic systems and point to opportunities for physical scientists and engineers to benefit from and contribute to the study of plants.