Physics in plants

Plants rely on fundamental physical principles for their survival and growth, integrating processes like energy conversion, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics. During photosynthesis, plants absorb light energy, converting it into chemical energy through the transfer of photons, a process governed by quantum mechanics. Water transport occurs via capillary action in the xylem, where cohesion and adhesion allow water to rise against gravity, aided by the transpiration pull from evaporating water in the leaves. Plants exchange gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide through diffusion, with stomatal openings controlled by turgor pressure, the osmotic-driven pressure within plant cells that also maintains structural support. Tropisms such as phototropism and gravitropism enable plants to grow in response to light and gravity, while thermal regulation through transpiration, radiative cooling, and convection helps plants manage temperature. These physical processes are vital to the dynamic, self-regulating systems within plants, linking biology and physics intricately.