scholarly journals The interdependence between transpiration intensity and the anatomical structure of moss leaves

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Krupa

The degree of anatomical differentiation of moss leaves, as well as differing biotropic conditions of these plants, served as a basis for the choice of the following species: <i>Mnium punctatum, Catharinea undulata, Funaria hygrometrica, Polytrichum juniperinum, Polytrichum piliferum</i>, and <i>Aloina rigida</i>. Different anatomical structure of severed moss leaves does not generally influence the quantity of water evaporated during a 24-hour period, while they are kept in an atmosphere of relative humidity of 85% and 95%. The differences observed in the dynamics of water loss from leaves under conditions of relative atmospheric humidity of 85% are more likely due to the properties and structure of cell walls, though they may also, result from different resistance of cytoplasm to evaporation. The process of photosynthesis exhibits a significantly greater sensitivity to variations in water content of leaf than does the process of respiration. In most of the studied species, the respiration activity decreases markedly, though it does not become completely arrested following the period of dehydration applied.

1970 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 592-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Norris Melville ◽  
W. T. Josenhans ◽  
W. T. Ulmer

Effects of increased water content of inspired air at 21–38 °C on specific airway resistance (sRaw) in 107 healthy subjects were measured with a body plethysmograph. Mean sRaw increased insignificantly at 23 °C with 92% relative humidity (water content, 20.7 g∙m−3) for up to 71 h but became significant at 6 h with water content 25 g∙m−3. Increases were greater when evaporated tap water was inhaled than when distilled water was used. It is postulated that the increase in sRaw is due to mucosal swelling and to contaminants in tap water. A theory of respiratory "water elimination" is proposed to replace the concept of respiratory water loss.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1263
Author(s):  
David Stuart Thompson ◽  
Azharul Islam

The extensibility of synthetic polymers is routinely modulated by the addition of lower molecular weight spacing molecules known as plasticizers, and there is some evidence that water may have similar effects on plant cell walls. Furthermore, it appears that changes in wall hydration could affect wall behavior to a degree that seems likely to have physiological consequences at water potentials that many plants would experience under field conditions. Osmotica large enough to be excluded from plant cell walls and bacterial cellulose composites with other cell wall polysaccharides were used to alter their water content and to demonstrate that the relationship between water potential and degree of hydration of these materials is affected by their composition. Additionally, it was found that expansins facilitate rehydration of bacterial cellulose and cellulose composites and cause swelling of plant cell wall fragments in suspension and that these responses are also affected by polysaccharide composition. Given these observations, it seems probable that plant environmental responses include measures to regulate cell wall water content or mitigate the consequences of changes in wall hydration and that it may be possible to exploit such mechanisms to improve crop resilience.


The cell walls of a number of marine algae, namely species of Bryopsis, Caulerpa, Udotea, Halimeda and Penicillus and of one freshwater alga, Dichotomosiphon , are examined using both chemical and physical techniques. It is shown that, with the possible exception of Bryopsis , cellulose is completely absent and that the walls contain instead β -l,3-linked xylan as the structural polysaccharide. Bryopsis contains, in addition, a glucan which is most abundant in the outer layers of the wall and which stains like cellulose. The xylan is microfibrillar but the microfibrils are more strongly adherent than they are in cellulose, and in some species appear in the electron microscope to be joined by short crossed rod-like bodies. The orientation of the microfibrils is found to vary, ranging from a net tendency to transverse orientation through complete randomness to almost perfect longitudinal alinement. The microfibrils are negatively birefringent, so that all walls seen in optical section, and all parallel arrays of microfibrils whether in face view or in section (except strictly transverse section) are negatively birefringent. With Bryopsis , the negative birefringence in face view is overcompensated by the positive birefringence of the incrusting glucan so that the true birefringence of the crystalline polysaccharide is observed only after the glucan is removed. The X-ray diagram of parallel arrays of microfibrils as found, for instance, in Penicillus dumetosus shows that the xylan chains are helically coiled, in harmony with the negative birefringence. It is deduced that the microfibrils consist of hexagonally packed, double-stranded helices. The diameter of the helices increases with increasing relative humidity, as water is taken into the lattice, from 13.7 Å in material dried over phosphorus pentoxide to a maximum of 1.54 Å at 65 % relative humidity when the xylan contains 30 % of its weight as water. The repeat distance along the helix axis ranges from 5.85 Å (dry) to 6.06 Å (wet), the length of a half turn of each helix containing three xylose residues. The incrusting substances in these walls often include a glucan which is said also to be 1,3-linked. The significance of the extensive differences between this xylan and cellulose are examined both as regards some of the physical properties of the respective cell walls and in relation to the taxonomic position of these plants.


Author(s):  
Hoang Nghia Vu ◽  
Xuan Linh Nguyen ◽  
Sangseok Yu

Abstract In a fuel cell vehicle, the water content of the gas supply within certain ranges plays a key role in improving the performance of a proton exchange membrane. The lower limit of water content in the air supply is to avoid the problem of drying-out, while the upper prevents flooding. Water management can be accomplished by a membrane humidifier which allows water vapor to permeate the mixture from the side having the higher water concentration, moving to the other side of the membrane. In this study, the variation in water content collected at the outlet of a membrane humidifier is investigated with a one-dimensional mass exchanger model and various operating variables. The vapor concentration of outlet flows is affected by operating temperature and relative humidity of the membrane humidifier. Relative humidity of the dry side at the point of outlet flow, to be supplied to the fuel cell module, is the key characteristic. The analogy of the effectiveness-NTU approach for heat transfer is used to analyze the characteristics of the mass exchanger. Mass flux through the membranes is estimated with an overall mass transfer coefficient which represents vapor transport characteristics moving through the membrane module. This coefficient has a similar role to the overall heat transfer coefficient in heat exchanger analysis. This parametric study is conducted to understand the effects of different variables. The Effectiveness-NTU methodology of mass transfer uses the overall mass transfer coefficient and the mass transfer rate, as evaluated experimentally. Simulink software is then employed to deliver outcomes of the model for different operating conditions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 366-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Roberta Ansorena ◽  
María Victoria Agüero ◽  
María Grabriela Goñi ◽  
Sara Roura ◽  
Alejandra Ponce ◽  
...  

During postharvest, lettuce is usually exposed to adverse conditions (e.g. low relative humidity) that reduce the vegetable quality. In order to evaluate its shelf life, a great number of quality attributes must be analyzed, which requires careful experimental design, and it is time consuming. In this study, the modified Global Stability Index method was applied to estimate the quality of butter lettuce at low relative humidity during storage discriminating three lettuce zones (internal, middle, and external). The results indicated that the most relevant attributes were: the external zone - relative water content, water content , ascorbic acid, and total mesophilic counts; middle zone - relative water content, water content, total chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid; internal zone - relative water content, bound water, water content, and total mesophilic counts. A mathematical model that takes into account the Global Stability Index and overall visual quality for each lettuce zone was proposed. Moreover, the Weibull distribution was applied to estimate the maximum vegetable storage time which was 5, 4, and 3 days for the internal, middle, and external zone, respectively. When analyzing the effect of storage time for each lettuce zone, all the indices evaluated in the external zone of lettuce presented significant differences (p < 0.05). For both, internal and middle zones, the attributes presented significant differences (p < 0.05), except for water content and total chlorophyll.


1965 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 531-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Jhooty ◽  
W. E. McKeen

The conidia of Sphaerotheca macularis germinate best at a relative humidity (R.H.) of 99 and 100% on glass surfaces, and germination does not occur if the R.H. is below 93%. Conidia of Erysiphe polygoni DC. germinate at 3% R.H. The water content of conidia of S. macularis and E. polygoni is 53 and 69% respectively. The osmotic pressure of S. macularis conidia is about 18 atm and their density varies from 1.10 to 1.11 g/ml. There is no significant change in the diameter and length of the conidia during germination.


1972 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. P. Graham ◽  
T. N. Blumer

Hams were frozen, stored, and thawed before dry-curing to study the profiles of quality as related to environmental conditions. Quality appraisals and sampling were done after thawing, after curing, and after 30 days aging in an atmosphere where temperature and relative humidity were controlled at about 34.5 C and 62.5%, respectively. The pH, water, NaCl, and fat contents were determined. Surface pH of hams increased from the thawed fresh state to the unstored cured state, but decreased generally after the aging period (stored cured ham). The pH was higher on the surface than that of corresponding internal areas. The pH of the internal tissue was lower for thawed product than cured or aged product. The average percent water decreased during curing and aging periods. Water loss after curing and after aging in the prefrozen hams was greater than that reported for unfrozen hams. The quantity of water, NaCl, and fat varied among the several muscle areas and reasons for variation are discussed. All hams were of acceptable quality at each appraisal period. Decreasing moisture levels of hams were reflected by decreases in conformation scores throughout the processing periods. Increased firmness was accompanied by weight loss, moisture loss, and increased NaCl percentage.


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