Re: Why do plants wilt when they dont receive enough water?

Hello Abdel Kambal,

Imagine you have a long thin balloon with no air in it. The balloon will fall over itself when you try to stand it in an upright position. When you blow air into the balloon, it can stand in an upright position because the air is exerting pressure on the walls of the balloon. In plants, it is not air which exerts pressure, but water. The plant needs water to support it in an upright position and if it loses too much, it will wilt.

In plants, the exertion of pressure occurs at the cellular level and is called 'turgor pressure'. You can simulate wilting in the cells by placing some plant cells in a strong salt or sugar solution which will draw water out of the cell. Under a microscope you will be able to observe how the cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall withdrawing the support given to the wall.

I hope this explanation makes sense to you. If not, then you could try going to a library. Most biology textbooks will have something about turgor pressure. If you cannot find anything suitable at a local public library, you might wish to try the British Library in Khartoum.

Richard Kingsley