Most of the Water Moving Through a Plant is Lost

Question

Most of the water moving through a plant is lost through ____.  
A) osmotic gradients in the soil
B) transpiration
C) translocation
D) photolysis
E) photosynthesis

Accepted Answer

Most of the water moving through a plant is lost through transpiration, which is the process by which water evaporates from the leaves and stems of a plant. This occurs as part of the plant's process of gas exchange, where carbon dioxide is taken in and oxygen is released. Transpiration also helps to regulate the temperature of the plant and maintain its shape and structure. While osmotic gradients in the soil may play a role in water uptake by the plant, and translocation is the process by which nutrients and other organic compounds move through the plant, these processes do not involve significant water loss. Photolysis and photosynthesis are both processes involving light energy that occur during photosynthesis, but do not directly involve water movement through the plant.