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.

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.

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

From Galileo, who used the hollow stalks of grass to demonstrate the idea that peripherally located construction materials provide most of the resistance to bending forces, to Leonardo da Vinci, whose illustrations of the parachute are alleged to be based on his study of the dandelion’s pappus and the maple tree’s samara, many of our greatest physicists, mathematicians, and engineers have learned much from studying plants. A symbiotic relationship between botany and the fields of physics, mathematics, engineering, and chemistry continues today, as is revealed in Plant Physics. The result of a long-term collaboration between plant evolutionary biologist Karl J. Niklas and physicist Hanns-Christof Spatz, Plant Physics presents a detailed account of the principles of classical physics, evolutionary theory, and plant biology in order to explain the complex interrelationships among plant form, function, environment, and evolutionary history. Covering a wide range of topics—from the development and evolution of the basic plant body and the ecology of aquatic unicellular plants to mathematical treatments of light attenuation through tree canopies and the movement of water through plants’ roots, stems, and leaves—Plant Physics is destined to inspire students and professionals alike to traverse disciplinary membranes.

Theoretical, numerical and experimental studies of transport phenomena in heat and mass transfer are reported in depth in this volume. Papers are presented which review and discuss the most recent developments in areas such as: Mass transfer; Cooling of electronic components; Phase change processes; Instrumentation techniques; Numerical methods; Heat transfer in rotating machinery; Hypersonic flows; and Industrial applications. Bringing together the experience of specialists in these fields, the volume will be of interest to researchers and practising engineers who wish to enhance their knowledge in these rapidly developing areas.