B3.2.7—Water transport in plants
Plant water transport depends on root uptake, xylem vessels, transpiration pull, cohesion, adhesion and lignified support against strong internal tension.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2025
- Objective
- B3.2.7
- Level
- HL
Exam analysis
Chance of appearing12%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceMay 2025
Most common paperPaper2
Typical marks2–7
Common command terms
- Identify
- Describe
- Explain
- Predict
Scoring notes
- Common mistake
- Explaining water movement as active transport through xylem rather than passive tension-driven flow.
Recent exam appearances
May 2025Paper2 ["HL"] · TZ24(b)[ 3 ]B3.2.7—Water transport in plants
May 2024Paper2 ["HL"] · TZ16(c)[ 7 ]B3.2.7—Water transport in plants
November 2020Paper2 ["HL"] · TZ07(b)[ 4 ]B3.2.7—Water transport in plants
November 2019Paper1 ["HL"] · TZ032[ 1 ]B3.2.7—Water transport in plants
November 2018Paper1 ["HL"] · TZ032[ 1 ]B3.2.7—Water transport in plants
Practice this objective
Coverage 2012–2025 · Updated 15 Jul 2026
Concept essentials
- Transpiration pull creates tension that draws water upward through xylem.
- Cohesion from hydrogen bonding keeps xylem water columns continuous.
- Adhesion helps water move through cell walls and xylem surfaces.
- Lignified xylem walls resist collapse under negative pressure.
- Root uptake begins with osmosis into root tissues or xylem.