Understand How Diffusion Works in Plants

Diffusion is an essential process in plants. Many substances, such as water, gases and minerals,  move into and out of cells by diffusion.

Diffusion is the movement of a substance from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, down a concentration gradient. 

The roots of a plant have special cells called root hair cells, and this is where diffusion of water and nutrients takes place from the soil into the cells of the plant. This can only take place because there is a concentration gradient between the soil and the plant cells. So water and minerals will move from the soil, where there is a high concentration of them, down a concentration gradient, into the cells where there is a lower concentration. Clever hey!

Let's take a look at some more examples of diffusion in action in plants in the following activity.