what is role of potassium ions in opening of stomata?
Answers
Answer:
The opening and closing of the stomata are controlled by the turgor pressure of the guard cell of the stomata. - The influx of potassium ions helps in the formation of potassium malate which increases the osmotic potential of the guard cell so that the stomata opens in day time.
Explanation:
Stomatal opening and closing is caused by the absorption and removal of water into and from the guard cells respectively. K+ ions have a huge role to play in this.
Opening: Huge amounts of potassium ions accumulate in the guard cells which increases the solute potential and hence the water potential is dropped. This causes water from neighbouring cells to enter the guard cell and they become turgid or swollen. In this condition, the stomatal pore is opened.
Closing: This is the opposite phenomenon of opening as it occurs when water is removed from the guard cells and they become flaccid. K+ ions move out of the cell. This causes the stomatal pore to close. This occurs in the absence of light or when rates of photosynthesis are low. In this condition the stomatal pore is closed