Excretion in Plants

Excretion in plants occurs to remove the wastes produced by them.These waste products are excreted by plants in completely different forms than those of animals.

How do Plants Excrete their Waste Products 

Plants excrete various waste products during their life processes they are as follows

Gaseous Waste Products of Plants 

• Plants release gaseous wastes such as carbon dioxide and water vapor produced during respiration at night and oxygen produced during photosynthesis in daytime through stomata in leaves and lenticels found in stems.

Liquid Waste Products of Plants

• Plants get rid of excess water produced as a waste during respiration by the process of transpiration. 
• Some species of plants exude water through stomata, while others through hydathodes.
• Plants also store waste substances in old xylem as resins and gums.
• Gums are the degradation products of internal plant tissues (mostly cellulose), while resins are formed as the oxidation products of various essential oils.
• Rubber plant is the common example of a plant which exudes latex (used in tyre industry) as an excretory product.
• Plants also excrete some essential oils like sandalwood oil, clove oil, etc., as excretory products.

Also Check – How Do Leaves of Plants Help in Excretion

Solid Waste Products of Plants 

• Some plants store waste substances in the cellular vacuoles and in tissues with dead cells, e.g. in heartwood.
• Waste products may also be stored within leaves, barks, etc., which fall off or get rid of by plants, e.g. deciduous plants.
• Plants excrete some solid waste substances into the soil around them.

Also Check – Human Excretory System

What are the Excretory Products of Plants and their uses ?

1. Plants like oak store their excretory products as tannin in their trunk, which is used in treatment of leather.
2. Essential oils excreted by plants such as sandalwood oil, olive oil, etc., are widely used in various household purposes.
3. Gums from plants are widely used to make adhesives.
4. Resins are used to make varnishes, glazing agents, etc.
5. Natural rubber is used as raw material in tyre industry.