Name: plant features that limit water loss
Uploaded: 2026-08-26T08:20:34.350Z
Duration: 2 min 35 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

Life Science

LS.7

LS.7.b

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

El agua es indispensable para
que las plantas

hagan la fotos&#xED;ntesis, la metabolizaci&#xF3;n
y mantengan su estructura celular.

Sin embargo, la p&#xE9;rdida excesiva de agua
es problem&#xE1;tica para las plantas.

&#xBF;Qu&#xE9; adaptaciones han evolucionado
para permitir que las plantas

soporten y resistan
la p&#xE9;rdida de agua?

La mayor&#xED;a de las plantas tienen
un cut&#xED;culo ceroso que

cubre la superficie de la hoja,
lo que previene la evaporaci&#xF3;n

del agua.

La composici&#xF3;n espec&#xED;fica de la cut&#xED;cula
influye en su agua.

Peque&#xF1;as aperturas en la superficie,
llamadas estomata,

facilitan el intercambio de gases
y la transpiraci&#xF3;n.

Para minimizar la p&#xE9;rdida de agua,
las plantas ajustan la densidad

y ubicaci&#xF3;n de la stomata
al desarrollar las hojas en respuesta

a la disponibilidad
de luz y agua.

Por ejemplo, en la mayor&#xED;a
de los &#xE1;rboles caducifolios,

la stomata se ubica
en los costados de las hojas.

Adem&#xE1;s, la densidad
de la stomata

es m&#xE1;s alta en las hojas
cerca del centro del &#xE1;rbol

y m&#xE1;s baja en las hojas
perif&#xE9;ricas.

La conservaci&#xF3;n del agua es
indispensable para las plantas

que crecen
en el desierto.

The desert shrub brittlebush
traps water around its leaves

with tiny leaf hairs.

These hairs, called
trichomes, deflect the sun

and diminish the
drying effect of wind.

Other desert plants,
such as Opuntia,

store water in
their fleshy stems

to protect against drought.

Adem&#xE1;s, los cactus tienen
hojas modificadas llamadas espinas

que reducen la evaporaci&#xF3;n
y disipan el calor.

Las plantas en los ambientes
&#xE1;ridos tambi&#xE9;n pueden

reducir la evaporaci&#xF3;n al solo
tomar di&#xF3;xido de carbono

a la noche.

Durante el d&#xED;a, la stomata
permanece cerrada.

Este proceso se llama
metabolismo del &#xE1;cido crasulaceano,

o MAC.

la arquitectura espec&#xED;fica de la hoja
tambi&#xE9;n puede reducir la p&#xE9;rdida del agua.

Las hojas peque&#xF1;as o finas
reducen la evaporaci&#xF3;n.

Las hierbas adquirieron
estructuras de hojas

dobladas que de la misma manera
reducen la superficie

y por lo tanto la evaporaci&#xF3;n.

Buckley, Thomas N., Grace P. John, Christine Scoffoni y Lawren Sack. "Los sitios de evaporación dentro de las hojas". Fisiología Vegetal 173, no. 3 (2017): 1763-1782. [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28153921" target="_blank">Fuente</a>]

Borland, et al. "Agroforestería resiliente al clima: respuestas fisiológicas al cambio climático e ingeniería del metabolismo del ácido crasuláceo (CAM) como estrategia de mitigación". Planta, Célula y Medio Ambiente 38, no. 9 (2015): 1833-1849. [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25366937" target="_blank">Fuente</a>]

Yang X y cols. Una hoja de ruta para la investigación sobre el metabolismo del ácido crasuláceo (CAM) para mejorar la producción sostenible de alimentos y bioenergía en un mundo más cálido y seco. Nuevo Phytol. Agosto de 2015; 207(3):491-504. [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26153373" target="_blank">Fuente</a>]

Jalakas, Pirko, Ebe Merilo, Hannes Kollist y Mikael Brosché. "La regulación de la densidad estomática mediada por ABA es independiente de OST1". Plant Direct 2, n.º 9 (1 de septiembre de 2018). [<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.82" target="_blank">Fuente</a>]

adaptaciones que reducen la pérdida de agua

Aunque la evaporaci&#xF3;n de las hojas de las plantas impulsa la transpiraci&#xF3;n, tambi&#xE9;n provoca la p&#xE9;rdida de agua. Debido a que el agua es fundamental para las reacciones fotosint&#xE9;ticas y otros procesos celulares, las presiones evolutivas sobre las plantas en diferentes ambientes han impulsado la adquisici&#xF3;n de adaptaciones que reducen la p&#xE9;rdida de agua. En las plantas terrestres, la capa celular superior de la hoja de una planta, llamada epidermis, est&#xE1; recubierta con una sustancia cerosa llamada cut&#xED;cula. Esta capa hidrof&#xF3;bica est&#xE1; compuesta por el pol&#xED;mero cutina y otras ceras de origen vegetal que son sintetizadas por las c&#xE9;lulas epid&#xE9;rmicas. Estas sustancias previenen la p&#xE9;rdida de agua no deseada y la entrada de solutos innecesarios. La composici&#xF3;n espec&#xED;fica y el grosor de la cut&#xED;cula var&#xED;an seg&#xFA;n la especie de planta y el entorno. Otras adaptaciones de las hojas tambi&#xE9;n pueden minimizar la evaporaci&#xF3;n, principalmente reduciendo la superficie. Por ejemplo, algunos pastos tienen una estructura plegada que reduce la p&#xE9;rdida de agua. Alternativamente, otras especies de c&#xE9;sped sufren un movimiento de la hoja para protegerlas contra la evaporaci&#xF3;n. Algunas plantas que habitan en el desierto tienen hojas cubiertas de pelos microsc&#xF3;picos que atrapan el vapor de agua, reduciendo as&#xED; la evaporaci&#xF3;n. El agua se evapora principalmente a trav&#xE9;s de peque&#xF1;os agujeros en las hojas de las plantas llamados estomas. Los estomas de algunas plantas se encuentran exclusivamente en la superficie inferior de las hojas, protegi&#xE9;ndolas de la evaporaci&#xF3;n excesiva asociada al calor. Otras plantas atrapan el vapor de agua cerca de los estomas que se encuentran en los hoyos de sus hojas, lo que reduce la p&#xE9;rdida de agua por evaporaci&#xF3;n, ya que las c&#xE9;lulas protectoras que flanquean la abertura de los estomas pueden detectar la humedad relativa. Algunas plantas del desierto abren sus estomas solo por la noche, cuando es menos probable que se produzca la evaporaci&#xF3;n. Esta estrategia se llama metabolismo del &#xE1;cido crasul&#xE1;ceo (CAM), y las plantas que la utilizan capturan y fijan di&#xF3;xido de carbono durante la noche y ejecutan reacciones fotosint&#xE9;ticas dependientes de la luz durante el d&#xED;a. Algunos cient&#xED;ficos han propuesto plantas de bioingenier&#xED;a para desacoplar la fijaci&#xF3;n de carbono de la fotos&#xED;ntesis mediante la utilizaci&#xF3;n de CAM como un esfuerzo de mitigaci&#xF3;n de la evaporaci&#xF3;n asociada con el calentamiento global de las temperaturas.

Adaptaciones que reducen la pérdida de agua

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and ...

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Education

Educación

JoVE Core

Biology

Biología

Plant Biology

Biología Vegetal

Plant Structure, Growth and Function

Estructura, crecimiento y nutrición de las plantas

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

TÉRMINOS Y CONCEPTOS CLAVE

plant features that limit water loss

Plant features that limit water loss help plants survive in dry or hot environments. Water is needed for photosynthesis and other cell processes, so plants have evolved several ways to slow evaporation from their leaves.

One major barrier is the cuticle, a waxy layer on the leaf epidermis. The epidermis is the outer cell layer, and it makes cutin and other plant waxes that form this hydrophobic coating. The cuticle helps stop water from escaping and also keeps out unwanted solutes. Its thickness and makeup vary with plant species and growing conditions.

Some plants also reduce water loss by changing leaf shape. Certain grasses have folded leaves, and others roll their leaf blades to limit evaporation. Desert plants may have microscopic hairs on their leaves that trap water vapor and slow water loss.

Most water leaves a plant through stomata, which are tiny openings in the leaf. In some plants, stomata are found only on the lower leaf surface, where they are less exposed to heat. Other plants place stomata in pits, where trapped water vapor raises humidity around the guard cells and lowers evaporation.

A few desert plants use Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, or CAM. These plants open their stomata at night, when evaporation is lower, and capture carbon dioxide then. During the day, they carry out the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Scientists have also suggested using CAM in bioengineering to help plants cope with warming global temperatures.

Plant Features That Limit Water Loss

introduction to plant diversity

Plant Adaptations for Life on Land

Plant adaptations for life on land explain how Kingdom Plantae moved from water to land about 410 million years ago. This shift happened when green algae began colonizing a new environment that had not been widely occupied. Land offered more light and carbon dioxide for growth, but it also created major challenges for early plants. One key adaptation was the cuticle, a waxy outer layer that helps prevent water loss. It traps moisture inside the plant. But it also limited direct gas exchange...

non-vascular seedless plants

Nonvascular Plants and Their Life Cycle

Nonvascular plants include some of the earliest plants on Earth. Today, this group includes liverworts, mosses, and hornworts. These plants are also called bryophytes. They have no true roots, leaves, or stems because they lack extensive vascular tissue. Bryophytes reproduce with spores instead of seeds. Their life cycle is dominated by the haploid gametophyte stage, which produces eggs and sperm. The sporophyte stage makes haploid spores that can grow by mitosis into new gametophytes. In many...

seedless vascular plants

Fern Life Cycles and Vascular Tissue

Seedless vascular plants include ferns, horsetails, whisk ferns, and lycophytes. Ferns are the most common example. Whisk ferns and their relatives, along with horsetails, are monilophytes. Lycophytes include club mosses, spikemosses, and quillworts, and none of these are true mosses. Seedless vascular plants differ from nonvascular plants because they have vascular tissue. This tissue includes xylem and phloem, which move water and nutrients through the plant. Most seedless vascular plants...

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Seed Plants: Cones, Flowers, and Fruits

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basic plant anatomy: roots, stems, and leaves

basic-plant-anatomy-roots-stems-and-leaves

Plant Organs and Their Specialized Roles

Plants are built from roots, stems, and leaves, but each organ can change to fit a plant’s environment. These structures may look very different from one species to another. They still carry out the main jobs needed for growth and survival. Roots are usually underground, but that is not always true. Aerial roots grow aboveground. Epiphytic plants, such as orchids, can live without ever touching soil. In strangler figs and banyans, aerial roots begin aboveground, grow downward, and later reach...

plant cells and tissues

Plant Growth and Support Tissues

Plant growth and support tissues help plants grow, protect themselves, and move materials through the body. Plant tissues are groups of similar cells that do related jobs. These tissues combine to form organs such as flowers, fruit, stems, and leaves. Two major kinds of plant tissue are meristematic tissue and permanent tissue. Meristematic tissue is the main growth tissue in plants. It can keep dividing and renewing itself, and every plant cell begins in a meristem. Meristematic tissue is...

meristems and plant growth

Plant Growth from Root and Shoot Tips

Plants grow throughout their lives, and that pattern is called indeterminate growth. This trait sets plants apart from most animals. Some plant parts stop growing, such as leaves and flowers, but roots and stems can keep growing for a long time. Meristems make this ongoing growth possible. A meristem is a plant tissue that contains undifferentiated cells called meristematic cells. When these cells divide, some daughter cells stay in the meristem. That keeps a supply of cells that can keep...

primary and secondary growth in roots and shoots

primary-and-secondary-growth-in-roots-and-shoots

Root and Shoot Growth: Length vs. Width

Root and shoot growth in vascular plants happens in two main ways: primary growth and secondary growth. Primary growth makes roots and shoots longer. Secondary growth makes them thicker. Many woody plants show both kinds of growth, and the two can happen at the same time. Primary growth happens in newer parts of the plant. Secondary growth happens in regions that have already finished primary growth. In roots and shoots, the process starts in apical meristems, which are areas of actively...

morphogenesis

Plant Flowering and Organ Identity

Plant flowering and organ identity shape a plant’s form and structure. These changes depend on growth and cell differentiation, which work together during plant morphogenesis. Precursor cells become specialized cell types, and those cells are organized into tissues and organ systems that support the whole plant. Plant growth and cell differentiation are controlled by hormones. Plant hormones regulate gene expression, often in response to environmental stimuli. Temperature and day length are...

light acquisition

How Plants Maximize Sunlight Capture

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water and mineral acquisition

How Roots Absorb Water and Minerals

Roots absorb water and minerals from the soil using specialized tissues. Their branching patterns help them reach more soil, and root hairs on the outer cells increase surface area for contact with the ground. Water enters roots passively because the water concentration in the soil is higher than in root tissue. Minerals move in a different way. They are taken up actively by root cells, which requires energy and transport proteins. Soil particles carry a negative charge, so positive ions...

short-distance transport of resources

Plant Cell Membranes and Water Balance

Plant cell membranes control how water, ions, and other solutes move over short distances. This transport can happen across just 2 to 3 cells, and it begins at the plasma membrane. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse through the membrane on their own. Ions and larger molecules need transport proteins because of their charge or size. Membrane transport also happens inside plant cells. The central vacuole stores resources and helps manage the cell’s...

xylem and transpiration-driven transport of resources

xylem-and-transpiration-driven-transport-of-resources

How Xylem Moves Water in Plants

Xylem moves water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant. The cells that carry xylem sap are dead when mature, so the flow is passive. Xylem transport depends on special tracheary elements, which connect directly with the extracellular space in the apoplast. There are two main tracheary elements: tracheids and vessel elements. Tracheids are long cells with lignified walls and small pits. These pits let xylem sap move from one cell to the next where the walls overlap.

regulation of transpiration by stomata

How Guard Cells Open Plant Stomata

How guard cells open and close plant stomata controls gas exchange in leaves. A stoma is a tiny opening in the leaf epidermis. The word comes from the Greek word for “mouth.” These openings let plants take in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and release oxygen into the air. Each stoma is surrounded by two guard cells. When these cells take up water, they create an opening. Ion transport controls how much water stays in the guard cells. A trigger causes pumps to move hydrogen ions out of the...

adaptations that reduce water loss

Plant features that limit water loss help plants survive in dry or hot environments. Water is needed for photosynthesis and other cell processes, so plants have evolved several ways to slow evaporation from their leaves. One major barrier is the cuticle, a waxy layer on the leaf epidermis. The epidermis is the outer cell layer, and it makes cutin and other plant waxes that form this hydrophobic coating. The cuticle helps stop water from escaping and also keeps out unwanted solutes. Its...

phloem and sugar transport

How Phloem Moves Sugars in Plants

Phloem moves sugars and other materials through plants. In angiosperms, sugar production is mostly limited to photosynthetic cells in the leaves. These leaves act as sugar sources because they make more sugar than they use. Roots, shoots, flowers, and fruits are usually sugar sinks because they need more sugar than they can make. This movement is called translocation. It carries sugar, hormones, amino acids, and some signaling molecules from source tissues to sink tissues. The transport...

the soil ecosystem

Soil Layers and How Soil Forms

Soil supplies plants with water and inorganic minerals. It is the natural medium for land plants, and its quality depends on both chemical makeup and living organisms in the soil. Healthy soil contains enough air, water, minerals, and organic matter to support plant growth. Soil is made of three major components. Inorganic mineral matter makes up about 40 to 45 percent of soil volume. Organic matter, also called humus, makes up about 5 percent. Water and air fill about 50 percent of the volume.

key elements for plant nutrition

Plant Nutrients: Macro and Micro Needs

Plants need both organic and inorganic nutrients to survive, grow, reproduce, and keep normal cell function. Researchers use hydroponics to study these essential nutrients. In hydroponic culture, plants grow without soil in water-based nutrient solutions. At least 17 nutrients are known to be essential for plants. Plants get these elements from the atmosphere, the soil around their roots, and water. Nine of them are macronutrients, which plants need in larger amounts. These macronutrients are...

the roles of bacteria and fungi in plant nutrition

the-roles-of-bacteria-and-fungi-in-plant-nutrition

How Soil Microbes Help Plants Get Nutrients

Soil microbes help plants get nutrients, water, and protection. Plants can make their own food by photosynthesis, but they still depend on organisms in the soil to get the nutrients they need to work properly. Bacteria and fungi form symbiotic relationships with plants, which helps both partners survive in many environments. The bacteria living in and around plant roots are called the rhizosphere. This community is very diverse. Some bacteria can cause disease, but most help plant health. In...

epiphytes, parasites, and carnivores

Plant Nutritional Adaptations in Nature

Plant nutritional adaptations help some species survive by using fungi, bacteria, or other plants and animals. Many plants also rely on mutualistic partners in the soil. Root-colonizing fungi, such as mycorrhizae, increase root surface area and improve nutrient absorption. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as rhizobia, convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), which plants can use to build essential molecules like chlorophyll. These relationships benefit both sides. The plant gets...

the apoplast and symplast

Plant Water Transport Pathways

Plant water transport pathways help roots absorb water and dissolved minerals from the soil. These pathways move materials through plant tissues that support growth and nutrient uptake. The main tissue regions involved are the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells. It contains cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The symplast is the cytosol of all living plant cells, along with the plasmodesmata that...

key terms and concepts

Explore leaf cuticle, stomata, leaf shape, hairs, and CAM photosynthesis adaptations that help plants reduce water loss in dry environments.

Plant Features That Limit Water Loss | JoVE K12

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Florida Department of Education

High School

SC.912.L.14

SC.912.L.14.7

Georgia Standards of Excellence

9-12

Botany

SBO1.

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Plant Features That Limit Water Loss

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