Plants utilize various strategies to excrete waste, including the release of oxygen during photosynthesis, transpiration to eliminate excess water, storage of waste products in cellular vacuoles, shedding of leaves and other parts containing waste, and secretion of waste substances into the soil.
Share
Plants differ in their excretion strategies compared to animals. While animals have specialized excretory organs, such as kidneys, plants lack dedicated excretory systems. Instead, plants primarily eliminate metabolic waste products through processes like transpiration, where water vapor carries dissolved minerals and waste materials out of the plant through stomata. Additionally, some plants store waste compounds in vacuoles or shed old leaves. Unlike animals, plants do not produce highly toxic nitrogenous wastes like urea or ammonia, relying on less harmful compounds. Overall, plant excretion mechanisms are decentralized and integrated into broader physiological processes.