Plants, in addition to their role as primary synthesizers of organic com pounds, have evolved as selective accumulators of inorganic nutrients from the earth's crust. This ability to mine the physical environment is restricted to green plants and some microorganisms, other life forms being direct1y or indirect1y dependent on this process for their supply of mineral nutrients. The initial accumulation of ions by plants is of ten spatially separated from the photosynthetic parts, necessitating the transport to these parts of the inorganic solutes thus acquired. The requirement for energy-rich materials by the accumulation process is provided by a transport in the opposite direction of organic solutes from the photosynthetic areas. These transport phenomena in plants have been studied at the cellular level, the tissue level, and the whole plant level. The basic problems of analysing the driving forces and the supply of energy for solute transport remain the same for alI systems, but the method of approach and the type of results obtained vary widely with the experimental material employed, reflecting the variation of the solute transporting properties which have se1ectively evolved in response to both internal and external environmental pressures.

This book offers a comprehensive treatment of transport in plants. The subject matter is treated in logical sequence based on refined interpretations of research findings. The information on ion transport, stomatal mechanism and organic transport and signalling event has been discussed in depth. The readers should find the writing lucid, clean and fresh. The venture is new and attempts to satisfy the textual needs of transport events in plants for the students and teachers of the subcontinent. The book discusses the vital areas of transport placing due importance on principles and processes. The treatment being at a higher level, clear perceptions and viewpoints are presented. Specific mechanisms and coordination of events among the seemingly different functions have been properly highlighted. Thermodynamic aspects relevant to the processes have been hinted at appropriate places.

"Professor William J. Thomson emphasizes the formulation of differential equations to describe physical problems, helping readers understand what they are doing - and why. The solutions are either simple (separable, linear second order) or derivable with a differential equation solver."--BOOK JACKET.

Fluid and flow problems in porous media have attracted the attention of industrialists, engineers and scientists from varying disciplines, such as chemical, environmental, and mechanical engineering, geothermal physics and food science. There has been a increasing interest in heat and fluid flows through porous media, making this book a timely and appropriate resource.Each chapter is systematically detailed to be easily grasped by a research worker with basic knowledge of fluid mechanics, heat transfer and computational and experimental methods. At the same time, the readers will be informed of the most recent research literature in the field, giving it dual usage as both a post-grad text book and professional reference.Written by the recent directors of the NATO Advanced Study Institute session on 'Emerging Technologies and Techniques in Porous Media' (June 2003), this book is a timely and essential reference for scientists and engineers within a variety of fields.

Design, analysis and simulation of tissue constructs is an integral part of the ever-evolving field of biomedical engineering. The study of reaction kinetics, particularly when coupled with complex physical phenomena such as the transport of heat, mass and momentum, is required to determine or predict performance of biologically-based systems wheth

Integrating nonequilibrium thermodynamics and kinetic theory, this unique text presents a novel approach to the subject of transport phenomena.

Modeling of Microscale Transport in Biological Processes provides a compendium of recent advances in theoretical and computational modeling of biotransport phenomena at the microscale. The simulation strategies presented range from molecular to continuum models and consider both numerical and exact solution method approaches to coupled systems of equations. The biological processes covered in this book include digestion, molecular transport, microbial swimming, cilia mediated flow, microscale heat transfer, micro-vascular flow, vesicle dynamics, transport through bio-films and bio-membranes, and microscale growth dynamics. The book is written for an advanced academic research audience in the fields of engineering (encompassing biomedical, chemical, biological, mechanical, and electrical), biology and mathematics. Although written for, and by, expert researchers, each chapter provides a strong introductory section to ensure accessibility to readers at all levels.

Eight invited papers review the major recent developments in the study of the movement of photoassimilates within the higher plants. The major events of the entire migration from the chloroplast of the photosynthetic cell to the sink organ are covered. The chapters discuss transport within photosynthetic cells and between leaf cells; the structure of phloem; the origin, destination, and fate of phloem solutes; the loading and unloading of photoassimilates, the physiological aspects of translation, and the relationship and regulation between source and sink organs. Includes an appendix of tables showing the physico-chemical aspects of phloem sap. Intended for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Introduction to Biotransport Principles is a concise text covering the fundamentals of biotransport, including biological applications of: fluid, heat, and mass transport.