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Transportation in Living Organisms

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Estimated time: 8 minutes
Maharashtra State Board: Class 9

Transportation:

Transportation is a vital process in living organisms that ensures the movement of substances like nutrients, oxygen, and water from one part of the body to another. It allows the materials needed for growth, energy production, and survival to reach every cell efficiently. Transportation acts as a lifeline for organisms, connecting various systems and enabling them to work together harmoniously. Whether it is blood circulation in animals or sap movement in plants, transportation is key to sustaining life.

  • In humans, the digestive system breaks down food into nutrients, which are absorbed into the bloodstream. These nutrients, along with oxygen taken in through the lungs, are carried by blood to all the cells of the body. Once delivered, the cells use these substances to produce energy through cellular respiration. Blood also transports waste products like carbon dioxide and urea to organs such as the lungs and kidneys for elimination.
  • Similarly, in plants, transportation involves the movement of water and minerals absorbed by roots to different parts of the plant. This is achieved through a system of channels, such as xylem for water and phloem for nutrients. Farmers, in turn, replicate this process by channelling water from wells or dams to irrigate crops effectively.
Maharashtra State Board: Class 12

Key Points: Transportation in Living Organisms

  • Transportation moves oxygen, nutrients and waste between the organism and the environment, and within the body.
  • Two methods — Diffusion (passive, no energy) and Active transport (against gradient, needs energy).
  • Cyclosis/Streaming movement — circular movement of cytoplasm for intracellular transport. e.g. Paramecium, Amoeba, root hairs in plants.
  • Intracellular — transport within the cell (e.g. Sponges, Coelenterates) | Extracellular — transport outside the cell (e.g. Roundworm).
  • In higher organisms, transportation is carried out by specialised circulatory systems using blood and lymph.
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