DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE 3 PLANT GROUPS
There are many differences and similarities through out the three groups, these differences and similarities can consist of their roots, their stem their structure and physical attributes.
ROOTS All of the 3 groups roots are different, as they all have different purposes to serve the plant, so that it can survive. The purpose for the roots of a mesophyte is to obtain water and to keep the plant stable and anchored. These roots can be either taproot or fibrous, these roots are made to receive as much water as they can, this is done while they should have good anchorage so that the plant doesn't have trouble dealing with possible winds. Roots of the mesophyte are highly adaptive, as they are made to survive in very moist soil, but they are also adapted to live in very dry seasons. The xerophyte roots are adapted to contain as much water as they possibly can, when water enters the soil that the plat is placed in, this is because xerophyte's live in very dry areas, so they do not have a lot of water surrounding them, which means when there is water around them they must contain it so that they can survive. Hydrophyte roots main process is not to rely on water, as their roots are very thin and sometimes not even seen, because these plants are surrounded by water they are not concerned on not having enough water to survive so the plant roots main focus isn't to absorb the water fast because it doesn't have to. STEM All 3 stems of the plant groups are different. The stem of the mesophyte requires water so that their stem can stay turgid and strong, hydrophyte stems are more flexible and require no strengthening methods, otherwise the stem would not stay flexible, and finally the xerophyte stems are really thick and are made of flesh like material which helps contain a lot of water. The stems of a mesophyte need water, this is because the plant needs water to create a support for their woody stems, the stems need to be turgid. This is why water is very important for mesophyte's to have, otherwise their stems would not be able to support the rest of the plant. The stem needs to also be strong to be able to keep the whole plant standing, this is succeeded by having the plant stems lignified, lignin strengthens cell walls, making the cells more turgid meaning that the stem will be more strong and able to keep standing. It is important for the plants to be strong otherwise in times of high wind, the plant could fall over as it is not remained strong. The stem of the hydrophyte is very different from the stem of the mesophyte, the stem of the hydrophyte is very thin and flexible, this is because the stems do not need to be supported by turgid cells, this is because the plant needs to be able to move around in the water. The stem of the xerophyte is also very different compared to the stem of the hydrophyte and the stem of the mesophyte, the stem of a xerophyte is much thicker than the other stems, they are also made of a material that is more fleshy than the other two stems. This is because this kind of material stores a lot of water which is needed for a xerophyte as when the plant finds water it must contain it in order to survive. The stem also has to be vey strong to survive sometimes windy weather, without a strong stem the plant can fall over. STRUCTURE Mesophytes are mainly supported by the turgidity of their stems due to the amount of water in their cells, they are also supported by the lignin that is in their cells. The roots of the mesophyte are also used for anchorage, as they often need support in windy weathers so that they can keep standing. Hydrophyte's are supported by the water that is surrounding them, these plants do not need anything like a strong root to keep them up right as they depend on being buoyant, even though they depend on buoyancy some hydrophyte's still depend on some kind of anchorage. Xerophyte's are quite similar to mesophyte's as they need to be supported by their stem. Water is needed in xerophyte's for the material that the plant is made out of to stay strong, this is needed in extreme temperatures and extreme weathers that could damage the plant or potentially kill it. PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES A physical attribute that the plant has is its leaves, leaves are very important in a plant, and they differ among the three groups of hydrophyte's, mesophyte's and xerophyte's. The leaves of a mesophyte leaves can be similar to the leaves of aerial, and they can also be some partly submerged hydrophyte leaves, but they are different to leaves that are fully submerged and very different to the leaves of a xerophyte. The leaves of a mesophyte come in very different shapes and sizes, but the leaves are normally thin and flat. The leaves are usually of a green colour as the mesophyte has a high number of chloroplasts are found in the cells of the leaves. Some leaves of a mesophyte can posses hairs, these can help make a micro climate, which can help reduce the concentration gradient. The leaves of a hydrophyte and the leaves of a xerophyte are very different, but the aerial and partly submerged hydrophyte leaves, can be similar to some of the leaves of a mesophyte. Fully submerged leaves of a hydrophyte will have leaves that are thin and highly dissected, this is so that they can increase a very large surface area, which can allow more direct consumption of the water for the plant, this will contain the gases and minerals that are needed for the plant to survive. The leaves that are submerged in the water will be more flexible than if they were not submerged in the water, this is so it can prevent damage that may occur when the leaf is exposed to movement of water. The leaves of a xerophyte are either present when rolled up, reduced to spines or not present at all, some xerophyte plants do not even possess leaves, some of them have leaves that are rolled up and these ones can have hairs on them, and this is because they can protect the stomata, and some of the leaves on a xerophyte will be reduced to spines and this is so the surface area of the plant is reduced, which when the surface area is reduced, so is the chances of transpiration and the chances of water loss.
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