Electrical impulses are rapid means of information transfer in animal bodies. Limitations include the constraint of reaching only connected cells through nervous tissue and the need for cells to reset before generating new impulses.

The sensitive plant exhibits quick movement in response to touch, sunflowers show relatively slow movement in response to day or night, and growth-related movements in plants are even slower.

‘Hydrotropism’ is the directional growth response of plants towards or away from water, and ‘chemotropism’ is the response to chemicals. An example of chemotropism is the growth of pollen tubes towards ovules.

Geotropism refers to the growth response of plant roots downward (positive geotropism) and shoots upward (negative geotropism) in alignment with the pull of gravity.

The pressure created by water movement into the root xylem is unlikely to move water over significant heights. Plants employ another strategy, possibly involving transpiration and cohesion, to move water upwards in the xylem to the highest points of the ...

Cells in contact with the soil actively take up ions at the roots, creating a concentration difference. Water moves into the root xylem from the soil to eliminate this difference, establishing a steady upward flow.

The vessels and tracheids of the roots, stems, and leaves are interconnected in the xylem tissue, forming a continuous system of water-conducting channels that reach all parts of the plant.

Very tall trees face the challenge of large distances for transport systems. Despite this, plants have independently organized conducting tubes (xylem and phloem) to efficiently move energy stores from leaves and raw materials from roots.

Xylem transports water and minerals from the soil to various parts of the plant, while phloem moves products of photosynthesis from leaves, where they are synthesized, to other plant tissues.

Plants have low energy needs as they do not move and contain a significant proportion of dead cells. This allows them to use relatively slow transport systems.