Question

Suppose that you set up a potometer with a bean seedling that is badly wilted. its leaves are wrinkled and drooping. over the course of 30 minutes you observe that the leaves expand and return to an erect state. you also record a drop of 0.54 ml in the pipet of the potometer. is this an accurate measure of the amount of water transpired by the seedling? explain your answer.

Answer 1

No. The recorded drop in water in the pipet of the potometer would have been used not only for plant transpiration, but also to return the plant cells to a turgid state. Turgid means to expand due to high fluid content. Plants are required to maintain turgid cells to maintain an upright position as loss of turgidity results in plant wilting.