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For decades, it has well been known that the drive force of conducting both water and dissolved mineral ions from roots to leaves of plants makes mainly up of two: the pull of transpiration from leaves and root pressure. It had early been clear with regard to the transpiring pull, but mechanisms how root pressure be developed, hitherto, is fuzzy. Based on both experimental phenomenon of siphon-like transport of water defying gravity along fibre surface and crystallisation mechanisms, this paper theoretically suggests a fibre-assembling-pressure model for developing root pressure. According to the model, in roots the continuous polymerization of fiberized network, such as formation of nascent cell wall and maturity of xylem, can develop the fibre-assembling pressure, a positive hydraulic pressure. For a plant that grows with vigor, growth of all of fibres, such as xylem, can provide a drive force for water transport, division and expansion of cells in meristems, and gravitropic growth of roots. |
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Keywords:Root pressure;fibre-assembling pressure;siphon-like transport of water;water transport in plants;refilling cavitated xylem;gravitropism |
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