WATER IMBIBITION

It refers to the phenomenon of compounds absorbing water without forming a solution. Imbibition causes seeds to enlarge when they are submerged in water. This swelling creates a brief increase in the cell’s volume and requires no energy because components are transferred passively.

Imbibants are solid particles that imbibe water or any other liquid, whereas imbibe is the liquid that is absorbed.

CHARACTERISTICS OF IMBIBITION:

Imbibition has the following criteria

  • It’s a sort of diffusion in which water is absorbed by a substance’s solid particles (or colloids), resulting in a massive volume expansion. When a dry piece of wood is submerged in water, it swells and expands in volume.
  • The water molecules get strongly adsorbed and immobilized during imbibition.
  • During imbibition, the absorbed water molecules lose the majority of their kinetic energy in the form of heat, which is referred to as heat of wetting (or heat of hydration).
  • Because water has the highest water potential, imbibants’ water potential or matric potential is negative.
  • When a dry imbibant comes into touch with water, a steep water potential is formed.
  • Adsorption is an attracting force that retains the imbibant in place.
  • The pressure created by the swelling imbibants is known as imbibants pressure. Imbibitional pressure is another term for this.
  • Through a process of adsorption and capillarity, the imbibant is retained between and across the surface of the imbibant’s particles.

CAUSE OF IMBIBITION

  • The presence of lyophilic and hydrophilic colloids causes it to happen. Water is ingested through the body’s surface capillaries, which are sub-microscopic capillaries.
  • The imbibition of water continues until a dynamic equilibrium is reached, causing an increase in the volume of the imbibant, culminating in huge imbibitional pressure.

CONDITION REQUIRED FOR IMBIBITION

Imbibition is only possible if the following requirements are met:

  • Between the imbibants (such as a wooden piece) and the liquid being imbibed, there should be a water potential gradient (e.g., water).
  • For imbibition to occur, there must be some forces of attraction (or affinity) between the imbibants and the imbibed liquid.
  • Adsorption is a feature of colloids, hence materials with a high proportion of colloids are good imbibants. For this reason, wood is regarded as a good imbibant since it includes colloidal components such as protein, cellulose, and starch.

Adsorbents do not have to ingest all types of liquids. Dry plant materials soaked in ether, for example, do not swell much. Rubber, on the other hand, absorbs ether and swells when soaked in it. Rubber, on the other hand, will not drink water. The apparent consequence is that there must be some attraction forces between imbibant and imbibed material components.

FACTORS AFFECTING IMBIBITION:

Imbibition is influenced by the following factors

  • Imbibant texture: Looseness indicates more imbibition, whereas compactness indicates less. More colloidal stuff is easily absorbed. As a result, wood, which includes lignin, cellulose, and other compounds, is an excellent imbibant.
  • Temperature: As the temperature rises, so does imbibition. As the temperature rises, the viscosity of the liquid drops, and imbibition, which is inversely proportional to viscosity, rises.
  • Pressure: As pressure rises, imbibition decreases. Due to an increase in volume, pressure rises when the absorbing material is held in a restricted space. The matric potential causes this pressure to emerge.
  • pH of the medium: Depending on the charge of the imbibant, imbibition lowers or rises.
  • The imbibing’s affinity for the imbibant.

IMBIBITION IN PLANT

  • The adsorption of water by hydrophilic-protoplasmic and cell wall elements in plant cells is referred to as imbibition.
  • Imbibition induces seed enlargement, which causes the seed coat or Testa to rupture.
  • The first step in seed germination is imbibition.
  • Imbibition aids in the flow of water into the maturing ovules, which become seeds.
  • Imbibition is required during the early stages of root water absorption.

IMPORTANCE OF IMBIBITION IN PLANTS LIFE: Apart from seed germination, imbibition is thought to play a significant function in plant physiology. Sachs presented the imbibitional idea in his book (1878.\) According to this idea, the force of imbibition is responsible for the upward flow of water (i.e., the ascent of sap) in the stem. However, this notion was disproved since it is clear that a substantial amount of water passes through the lumen of xylem vessels, which can be verified by plugging the lumen with gelatin or oil (plant will show wilting).

HYDROPONIC SEED GERMINATION

Hydroponics is an effective technique for germinating seeds and for growing plants as a substitute to soil-based growing. Hydroponics is a more sanitary and effective procedure than soil-based growing, and it also protects plants from root rot and insects. Because everything in this growth procedure is automated, you can control the entire system.

Seed germination: Germination begins when a seed is given water and the temperature is adequate for non-dormant seeds. Imbibition is the process of a dry seed absorbing water (imbibition means to drink: seeds imbibe water, you do not imbibe seeds). Seeds grow as they drink water, hydrating enzymes and food supplies. Enzymes that have been hydrated become active, and the seed’s metabolic activities increase in order to provide energy for the development process. Furthermore, the water increases the turgor pressure in the cells, allowing them to expand.

The root is the first portion of the seedling to emerge from the seed coat, as you can see in movies of germinating seeds (also called the radical). The appearance of the root is often cited as the first sign that a seed is viable. The shoot will eventually develop and emerge from the seed.

After the shoot emerges, root development slows and shoot elongation accelerates if germination happens in darkness. This activity improves the likelihood that the seedling will emerge from the dirt into the light, where it may use photosynthesis to receive energy from the sun. When a seedling is exposed to light, it experiences remarkable transformations, such as becoming green and generating leaves. Photomorphogenesis is the name for this light-dependent developmental process.

Requirement for hydroponic seed germination

You’ll need the following essential supplies before you can start germination.

  • Seed propagation media
  • Grodan rock wool is what we use for water-based hydroponics and aquaponics systems. Cube of Grodan rock wool
  • To monitor the pH level, use a pH indicator and a pH down. An acid that is favorable to plants is pH down.
  • The optimum seed germination medium is hydroponic germination sponge, which reduces root damage during transplanting and seedling separation. Each sponge is specially cut to allow for simple seed germination.

Phases of hydroponic seed germination

When seeds germinate, they begin in a latent condition and progress to an actively developing stage as they grow.

This phase is divided into five sections.

  • Seed coat- this is the hard outer coating of the seed.
  • Plumule- these are the earliest shoots or stems of an embryo plant. 
  • The hypocotyl is the major component of the seed leaves beneath the stalk that sits directly above the root system.
  • Radicles develop into the first root.
  • Cotyledon- These are the embryonic plant leaves that form in seed producing plants. You will notice one or more of these early leaves after germination, and they will help conserve nutrients until more dominant leaves emerge.

CONCLUSION

Thus, in its conclusion it can be said that the initial phase in water absorption is imbibition. It aids seed germination by facilitating water absorption by roots.

Related Posts