Re: "aerial" roots

[GramFran413 at aol_com]

In a message dated 4/29/03 3:46:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com writes:

> >>I think it's more likely a response to needing more O2 for >>root 
> >>respiration.
> >>Much like Cypress knees in swamps or Mangrove roots' allowing >>O2 for
> >>root
> >>respiration. A number of wetland plants do this.
> >>There's no source of O2 down in the wetland substrates.
> 
> >I'm sorry, Tom, but I didn't even take high school chemistry!  >As the 
> >original post said, lots of this stuff just goes w-a-y over my >head.  I
> >don't 
> >understand what "02 for root respiration means.  Could you >break that 
> down 
> >for this aquatic plant illiterate -- please?
> 
> Well most life, not all, uses aerobic respiration which is very efficicent 
> energy wise.  
> No O2, no aerobic respiration and the plant does not have much energy or 
> growth as result. 
> 
> When flooding occurs, many plants simply die since this greatly reduces 
> their O2 access(terrestrial plants have plenty of air O2), but some are 
> able to import O2 to their roots via "Knees", emersed growth, floating 
> leaves, very slow growth etc. All the aquatic plants do this in some form. 
> They make starch and sucrose and then they need to burn(oxidize)these 
> products just like we do when we eat. We don't make starch like plants but 
> we still use respiration like they do.
> Gotta breath. It's a pretty efficient method of getting lots of energy.
> 
> If your muscles run out of O2 and go anaerobic, you'll make lactic acid(and 
> you have sore muscles) through fermentation andanother form is when beer 
> and wine makers use yeast and force it under anaerobic conditions to make 
> ethanol and CO2 gas like DIY CO2 users.
> But this process is slower yield much less energy than aerobic respiration 
> would(via the Kreb's cycle or I prefer to call it the TCA cycle).
> 
> If you take one suger unit and you get only 2 units of energy out it via 
> fermentation and if you get 36/38 units from aerobic respiration you can 
> see the dramatic difference in the processes.
> 
> That's about as basic as I'm going to give it to you unless you want to 
> snuggle up to a bio book and learn more. 

OK, but I'm not going to snuggle up to a bio book :)  Lots better things to 
do like gardening, riding my bicycle, watching little league games, and 
tending my fish.  My -- I promise -- last question: What does all this tell 
me about those "aerial" roots?  Whoops!  Make that two questions: What do I 
need to do to promote better rooting in the substrate than in the water?  
Thanks very much . . . I know I have to be frustrating for lots of you 
techno/chemists, but I'd really like to know.


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