‹ Biology simulationsBiology · IGCSE 0610 · 8 Transport in plantsSeven 3D simulations covering Topic 8: xylem and phloem (8.1), water uptake (8.2), transpiration (8.3) and translocation (8.4). Tabs marked Extended cover the Supplement.
Xylem carries water and mineral ions up from the roots and also supports the plant. Phloem carries sucrose and amino acids around the plant. Compare where they are in a root, a stem and a leaf, then zoom in on the tubes themselves.
Root hair cells grow out into the soil, giving the root a huge surface area for taking up water by osmosis and mineral ions by active transport. Follow the water: root hair cells, root cortex cells, xylem, then up the stem to the mesophyll cells of the leaves.
Stand a celery stalk in water coloured with a dye and leave it for a few hours. The dye travels with the water, so it shows which tissue carries water up the plant. Cut slices to see.
Transpiration is the loss of water vapour from leaves. Water evaporates from the wet surfaces of mesophyll cells into the air spaces, then diffuses out through the stomata. Change the conditions and count the water molecules leaving.
A potometer measures how fast a leafy shoot takes up water, which is nearly the rate it loses water by transpiration. As water is drawn in, an air bubble moves along a capillary tube. Time it over a fixed distance in different conditions.
| °C | fan | time / s | rate / mm per min |
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As water evaporates from the leaves, it pulls on the column of water in the xylem. Water molecules are attracted to each other, so the whole column is drawn up from the roots like a chain. Break the column or let the soil dry, and see what happens.
Translocation is the movement of sucrose and amino acids in the phloem from sources, the parts that release them, to sinks, the parts that use or store them. The same organ can be a source at one time of year and a sink at another.
Seven interactive 3D simulations for Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 topic 8 Transport in plants: xylem and phloem in root, stem and leaf sections and inside a lignified xylem vessel, water uptake through root hairs, cortex and xylem, tracing water up celery with a dye, transpiration from mesophyll cells through stomata with temperature, wind and humidity, a potometer investigation, the transpiration pull and wilting, and translocation from sources to sinks.
Seven 3D simulations covering Topic 8: xylem and phloem (8.1), water uptake (8.2), transpiration (8.3) and translocation (8.4). Tabs marked Extended cover the Supplement.
Transport in plants is a free, browser-based simulation for Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 (topic 8 Transport in plants). The course is assessed in Paper 1/2 (Multiple choice), Paper 3/4 (Theory), Paper 5 (Practical Test), Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical). Syllabus for examination in 2026-2028. There are 7 tabs, each a self-contained experiment with its own controls and live readings, and nothing to install: it runs on a laptop, tablet or classroom projector.
Full syllabus map: IGCSE Biology 0610 topic 8.
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