Summary
Water saturation of a tissue can be expressed as a function of volume, osmotic potential, and modulus of elasticity of the tissue (E tissue).E tissue increases with increasing turgor pressure, which has been verified for a growing tissue. It is also known to depend upon the size of the tissue. Water saturation can be theoretically defined, but practically, can only be measured as a range of tissue volume within which changes in osmotic potential and turgor do not cause significant changes in volume. Some physiological consequences have been discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bans, H. D., and P. E. Weatherley, 1962: A re-examination of the relative turgidity technique for estimating water deficits in leaves. Australian J. of Biol. Sci.15, 413–428.
Burström, H. G., 1962: Influence of azide on the permeability of Rhoeo cells. Ind. J. of Plant Physiol.5, 88–96.
Clausen, J. J., and T. T. Kozlowski, 1965: Use of the relative turgidity technique for measurement of water stresses in gymnosperm leaves. Can. J. of Botany43, 305–316.
Crafts, A. S., H. B. Currier, and C. R. Stocking, 1949: Water in the physiology of plants. Chronica Botanica Company, Waltham, Mass., U. S. A.
Falk, S., C. H. Hertz, and H. I. Virgin, 1958: On the relation between turgor pressure and tissue rigidity. I. Experiments on resonance frequency and tissue rigidity. Physiol. Plant.11, 802–817.
Hewlett, J. D., and P. J. Kramer, 1963: The measurement of water deficits in broadleaf plants. Protoplasma57, 381–391.
Kamiya, N., M. Tazawa, and T. Takata, 1963: The relation of turgor pressure to cell volume inNitella with special reference to mechanical properties of the cell wall. Protoplasma57, 501–521.
Nilsson, S. B., C. H. Hertz, and S. Falk, 1958: On the relation between turgor pressure and tissue rigidity. II. Theoretical calculations on model systems. Physiol. Plant.11, 818–837.
Oppenheimer, H. R., 1933: Untersuchungen zur Kritik der Saugkraftmessungen. Planta18, 525–549.
Schoch-Bodmer, H., 1939: Beiträge zur Kenntnis des Streckungswachstums der Gramineen-Filamente. Planta30, 168–204.
Ullrich, H., 1956: Turgor und Festigung des Pflanzenkörpers. Handbuch der Pflanzenphysiologie3, 615–631.
Walter, H., 1963: Zur Klärung des spezifischen Wasserzustandes im Plasma und in der Zellwand bei der höheren Pflanze und seine Bestimmung. Ber. dtsch. bot. Ges.76, 54–71.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The author is indebted to Dr. Peter B. Kaufmann, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Stig O. Falk and R. Wurscher for reading and critizicing the manuscript.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Burström, H. Definition and determination of water saturation. Protoplasma 61, 294–301 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01248986
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01248986