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Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 10 Science★ 5-9 marks in the TN SSLC Class 10 Science public exam through MCQs, diagrams, short and long answers

Transportation in Plants and Circulation in Animals

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 10 Science — Biology Chapter 14, Transportation in Plants and Circulation in Animals. Transport in plants (diffusion, osmosis, active transport, xylem and phloem), and circulation in animals (blood and its components, blood groups, the human heart and double circulation, blood vessels and lymph). Notes with comparisons, common mistakes, practice and quick revision.

⏱ 22 min readMedium difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Differentiate diffusion, osmosis and active transport
2Explain xylem and phloem transport
3List blood components and their functions
4Describe the human heart and double circulation
5Differentiate arteries, veins and capillaries

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Why this chapter matters

This chapter explains how plants move water and food and how blood circulates in animals — core physiology with a labelled heart diagram and blood-group facts that are reliably tested in the TN SSLC exam.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Chapter 12 — Plant Anatomy and Physiology

Xylem, phloem and transpiration.

Transportation in Plants and Circulation in Animals — Class 10 Science (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 10 Science, Biology — Chapter 14. How materials move within plants and how blood circulates in animals.

1. About this chapter

This chapter covers transport in plants (water, minerals and food) and circulation in animals (blood, the heart, blood vessels and lymph).

2. Transport in plants

Diffusion: movement of particles from higher to lower concentration.
Osmosis: movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from a dilute to a concentrated solution.
Active transport: movement against a gradient using energy (ATP).
Xylem transports water and minerals upward (driven by transpiration pull); phloem transports food (translocation).

3. Blood and its components

Plasma (fluid), red blood cells (RBC) carry oxygen (contain haemoglobin), white blood cells (WBC) fight infection, and platelets help clotting.
Blood groups: A, B, AB, O (and the Rh factor). O is the universal donor; AB the universal recipient.

4. The human heart and circulation

The heart has four chambers: two atria (upper) and two ventricles (lower).
Double circulation: blood passes through the heart twice per cycle — pulmonary (heart ↔ lungs) and systemic (heart ↔ body).
Blood vessels: arteries carry blood away from the heart (thick, no valves); veins carry blood to the heart (valves prevent backflow); capillaries allow exchange.
Lymph: a colourless fluid that drains tissues and helps defence.

5. Common mistakes

Mistake: Saying arteries always carry oxygenated blood. Fix: The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
Mistake: Confusing xylem and phloem transport. Fix: Xylem = water/minerals (up); phloem = food (both directions).
Mistake: Mixing osmosis with diffusion. Fix: Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane.

6. Practice (book-back style)

Differentiate diffusion and osmosis.
Name the components of blood and one function of each.
What is double circulation?
Differentiate arteries and veins.
Which blood group is the universal donor?

7. Answer key

Diffusion: particles move high → low concentration; osmosis: water moves across a semipermeable membrane to a more concentrated solution.
Plasma (transport), RBC (carry O₂), WBC (immunity), platelets (clotting).
Blood passes through the heart twice per cycle — pulmonary and systemic circulation.
Arteries carry blood away from the heart (thick walls, no valves); veins carry blood to the heart (valves present).
Blood group O (universal donor).

8. Quick revision

Biology Ch 14 · plant transport + animal circulation.
Diffusion, osmosis (water), active transport (needs ATP).
Xylem: water up (transpiration pull); phloem: food (translocation).
Blood: plasma, RBC, WBC, platelets; groups A/B/AB/O + Rh.
Four-chambered heart; double circulation; arteries away, veins to heart.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Transport processes

diffusion, osmosis, active transport

Active transport needs ATP.

Plant vascular transport

xylem = water up; phloem = food

Xylem uses transpiration pull.

Blood components

plasma, RBC, WBC, platelets

RBC carry O₂; platelets clot.

Double circulation

pulmonary + systemic

Blood crosses the heart twice per cycle.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Saying arteries always carry oxygenated blood

✓ The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs.

WATCH OUT

✗ Confusing xylem and phloem transport

✓ Xylem carries water/minerals upward; phloem carries food in both directions.

WATCH OUT

✗ Mixing osmosis with diffusion

✓ Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Multiple choice questions

MCQs on transport, blood and the heart.

Questions

Diagram / short answer

Heart diagram, blood components and vessel comparison.

Questions

Long answer questions

Double circulation and plant transport.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1MEDIUM· Comparison

Differentiate diffusion and osmosis.

▶ Show solution

Diffusion: particles move from high to low concentration; osmosis: water moves across a semipermeable membrane toward a more concentrated solution.

Q2EASY· Recall

Name the components of blood and one function of each.

▶ Show solution

Plasma (transport), RBC (carry oxygen), WBC (immunity), platelets (clotting).

Q3MEDIUM· Concept

What is double circulation?

▶ Show solution

Blood passes through the heart twice in one complete cycle — once via the lungs (pulmonary) and once via the body (systemic).

Q4MEDIUM· Comparison

Differentiate arteries and veins.

▶ Show solution

Arteries carry blood away from the heart with thick walls and no valves; veins carry blood to the heart with thinner walls and valves to prevent backflow.

Q5EASY· Recall

Which blood group is the universal donor?

▶ Show solution

Blood group O.

Q6EASY· Concept

Which process needs energy: diffusion or active transport?

▶ Show solution

Active transport (it uses ATP to move substances against a gradient).

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Biology Chapter 14 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 10 Science.
•Diffusion, osmosis (water), active transport (needs ATP).
•Xylem: water/minerals up (transpiration pull); phloem: food.
•Blood: plasma, RBC, WBC, platelets; groups A/B/AB/O + Rh.
•Four-chambered heart; double circulation (pulmonary + systemic).
•Arteries carry blood away; veins towards the heart (with valves).

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 5-9 marks across MCQ, diagram and long-answer questions

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
MCQ	1	1-2	Transport, blood, vessels
Short / Diagram	2-3	1-2	Heart diagram, blood components
Long Answer	3-5	1	Double circulation / plant transport

Prep strategy

Learn the three transport processes
Draw and label the human heart
Memorise blood components and groups
Compare arteries, veins and capillaries

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Blood transfusion

Knowing blood groups ensures safe transfusions.

Health monitoring

Heart and circulation knowledge underlies blood-pressure care.

Agriculture

Plant transport explains how nutrients and water reach crops.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Draw a neat, labelled heart diagram
Use a table for artery vs vein
State which vessel is the exception (pulmonary artery)
Define osmosis precisely (water + semipermeable membrane)

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Trace a drop of blood through pulmonary and systemic circulation.
Explain root pressure and transpiration pull in water ascent.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN SSLC Class 10 Public ExamHigh

Foundation / NTSE BiologyMedium

School unit testsHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

It keeps oxygenated and deoxygenated blood separate, so oxygen-rich blood is delivered to the body at higher pressure, which suits the high energy needs of mammals.

An artery is defined by carrying blood away from the heart; the pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs to be oxygenated.

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