What is water potential how it is differ from solute potential
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Answer:
Water potential is the chemical potential of water. It is denoted by the greek letter "psi". The direction of water movement is from higher water potential to lower water potential ie, energetically downhill direction.
Water potential = matric potential+ solute potential + pressure potential.
Solute potential or osmotic potential is the concentration of solutes in solutions either in the ionic or in the non- ionic state. These dissolves substances are seen mostly in plant vacuoles. Solute potential has an inverse relation to water potential. So, increase in solute potential cause a corresponding decrease in free energy which, in turn lowers water potential. This is the reason why the water potential inside plant cells is always lesser than that of pure water.
During day time, the water content of leaves falls low so, solute concentration goes high & solute potential negative. During night time, leaf water contents goes high, solute concentration falls low, and the solute potential becomes less negative.