Grade 10 · CAPS

Grade 10 Support and Transport Systems in Plants

Life Sciences practice questions and a worked example

Grade 10 Support and Transport Systems in Plants is part of the CAPS Life Sciences curriculum, covering how water and minerals are absorbed at the root and moved through the plant by transpiration pull, root pressure and capillarity, and how organic nutrients are transported by translocation. Learners also work through practical investigations, such as measuring water loss from a leaf and identifying the independent, dependent and controlled variables. The practice questions below are drawn from ReClass's own question bank, based on real Grade 10 CAPS assessments, giving learners a chance to work through plant support and transport questions in the same style they will meet in a test.

Worked example

3.1.1 Write down a planning steps for the investigation.

Answer & explanation

Decide: how long the investigation will last / how the results will be recorded / what apparatus will be required / where the investigation will take place / where the leaves will be obtained (any one).
To plan an investigation, you need to decide on several key aspects. One important step is to determine how long the investigation will last. This helps in organizing the schedule and ensuring that all necessary observations are made within the timeframe. Other planning steps might include deciding how to record the results, what apparatus is needed, where the investigation will occur, and where to obtain the necessary materials, such as leaves. Any of these decisions can be considered a valid planning step for the investigation.

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Support and Transport Systems in Plants

Question 1 of 3

1.1.7 Identify which option is NOT required to facilitate upward movement of minerals through the stem from the roots to the leaves.
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More practice questions

Explore additional Grade 10 Support and Transport Systems in Plants questions.

  • 2
    3.1.2 Provide an aim for the investigation.
  • 3
    3.1.3 Identify the following variables: (b) Dependant
  • 4
    3.1.4 What leaf acted as a control? Provide a reason for the answer.
  • 5
    3.1.5 Calculate the percentage decrease in the mass of leaf 3. Show ALL workings.

Common mistakes

  • Naming only one mechanism (e.g. transpiration pull) when a question asks for the factors that move water up a plant — root pressure and capillarity also contribute.
  • Confusing the independent variable (what the investigator changes) with the dependent variable (what is measured) in a transpiration investigation.
  • Forgetting that a root hair's large surface area and thin cell wall are what make it well-suited to absorption.

More Grade 10 Life Sciences topics

Aligned to CAPS Grade 10 Life Sciences — Support and Transport Systems in Plants. Curriculum source: CAPS for the FET Phase, Department of Basic Education.

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