
Phloem vs Xylem
Phloem | Xylem | |
Structure | The phloem tissues have a tubular-shaped ... | The xylem tissues have a tubular-shaped ... |
Cell wall | The tissues have walls with thin sieve t ... | Absence of cross walls |
Location | Phloem location is on the outer side of ... | The xylem location is in the center of t ... |
Movement | The movement of the phloem in a plant is ... | The movement of this tissue in a plant i ... |
What is phloem and its function?
Phloem is the vascular tissue in charge of transport and distribution of the organic nutrients. The phloem is also a pathway to signaling molecules and has a structural function in the plant body. It is typically composed of three cell types: sieve elements, parenchyma, and sclerenchyma.
What is the function of the phloem?
The function of the phloem are:-
- The phloem collects photo assimilates in green leaves,distributes them in the plant and supplies the heterotrophic plant organs.
- Phloem tissue transports and distributes sucrose and nutrients produced by the plant during photosynthesis.
- The phloem transports food for the plant made by the leaves also known as glucose in the form of sucrose.
What does the phloem do in plants?
The phloem and xylem make up the transport system in vascular plants. Xylem function in the transport of water and dissolved nutrients from the root to other parts of the plant whereas, the function of phloem is to transport food and organic nutrients from the site of photosynthesis which is the leaves to other parts of the plant.
Is xylem a plant cell?
xylem, plant vascular tissue that conveys water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant and also provides physical support. Xylem tissue consists of a variety of specialized, water-conducting cells known as tracheary elements.

1. Write two differences between xylem and phloem.
The differences between xylem and phloem are as follows-Xylem is known as the permanent and dead tissue which tends to carry both water and essenti...
2. What are the similarities between xylem and phloem?
The similarities of the xylem and phloem are given below-Xylem and phloem both are complex tissues having more than one kind of cell.Both of them a...
3. Why are xylem and phloem important topics?
Xylem and phloem are very important topics that students should prepare well as they have good weightage in exams. Also, to prepare these topics st...
4. What are the functions of xylem and phloem?
The functioning of the xylem and phloem is a very important topic. Transportation of water, minerals, and food throughout the plant is facilitated...
5. Where can I find the best study material for xylem and phloem?
To get answers to all the questions relating to the topic xylem and phloem, students can refer to the study material provided by the best online le...
What are the similarities between xylem and phloem?
Ans: The similarities of the xylem and phloem are given below. Xylem and phloem both are complex tissues having more than one kind of cells. Both of them are the components of the vascular tissue system in the plants. Xylem and phloem contain both the living as well as the dead cells. Both of them contain fibres.
What is the xylem of a plant?
However, the vessel elements are much shorter and help in the conduction of water. Furthermore, the xylem consists of parenchyma, which refers to a tissue which contains mostly the softer parts of the plant.
What are the two types of vascular tissues that are involved in transportation?
Xylem and phloem are two different kinds of vascular tissues that are involved mainly in the process of transportation. These tissues tend to form a vascular bundle and they work together in the form of a single unit. Xylem possesses a unidirectional movement, whereas, phloem possesses a bidirectional movement.
Why does an osmotic gradient occur?
Since there is a higher concentration of organic substances present inside the cells, an osmotic gradient occurs. Also, the water gets drawn out passively from the xylem that is adjacent. A high turgor pressure is created and sugar solution occurs inside the phloem that causes essential substances to move across different parts of the plant.
What is the function of xylem cells?
The cells of xylem tend to form long tubes that function to transport the materials. Also, the xylem sap is the mixture of both water and nutrients which flow through the xylem cells. The transportation of both these substances occurs via passive transport without any energy.
What are the components of a phloem?
The phloem structure consists of different components like sieve tubes, sieve cells, parenchyma, sclerenchyma, and companion cells. Also, these components tend to work together for assisting the conduction of sugars and amino acids. This type of conduction occurs from the source to the sink tissues.
Where are the xylem and phloem segregated?
Both the xylem and the phloem are segregated into the proto and meta elements in the primary vascular bundles. Xylem and phloem show both the primary as well as the secondary growth. Both xylem and phloem get developed from cambium. Share this with your friends.
What is the difference between phloem and xylem?
Xylem has a thick cell wall whereas phloem has a thin cell wall. Xylem fibers are robust and longer while phloem fibers are flexible and shorter. Xylem is found in roots, leaves, and stems while phloem is found in the leaves and stems.
What Is Xylem?
Xylem is a vascular bundle in plants that is responsible for the transport of water and minerals throughout the various part of the plant from the roots.
What are the elements of a plant?
Mainly dead cells. Mainly living cells and a few dead cells. Elements. Xylem vessels, fibre and tracheids. Phloem fibers, sieve tubes, sieve cells, phloem parenchyma, and companion cells. Location. At the center of the plant. The outer part of the plant. Mostly in the bark.
How many types of conductive cells are there in a phloem?
Phloem has one type of conductive cell while xylem has two types of conductive cells. Xylem has dead conductive tissues while phloem have living conductive tissues. Phloem is located in the outer vascular cambium while the xylem is located in the inner vascular cambium.
What are the two tissues of a flowering plant?
The main special tissues in vascular plants are xylem and phloem. Xylem and phloem structure is somehow similar.
How are sugar molecules transported into the sieve elements of phloem tissue?
Well, the sugar molecules are moved into the sieve elements of phloem tissue through active transport. Water follows the sugar molecules into the sieve elements through osmosis.
What is the function of a phloem?
Phloem is a vascular bundle in plants responsible for the translocation of food from the leaves to the rest parts of the plant.
What is the difference between a phloem and xylem?
Phloem vs. Xylem. Phloem and xylem are complex tissues that perform transportation of food and water in a plant. They are the vascular tissues of the plant and together form vascular bundles. They work together as a unit to bring about effective transportation of food, nutrients, minerals and water.
How is the xylem formed?
Xylem is formed by tracheary elements like tracheids and vessels predominantly. There are a variety of other cells giving it the status of complex tissue. Primary xylem originates from the procambium during primary growth while secondary xylem has its origin in vascular cambium during secondary growth.
What is the function of phloem in plants?
Phloem translocates sugars made by photosynthetic areas of plants to storage organs like roots, tubers or bulbs. This video explains the biological makeup of xylem and phloem and their role in plant transport.
What makes a xylem waterproof?
Forms vascular bundles with phloem and gives mechanical strength to plant due to presence of lignin cells. The lignified secondary wall also makes the xylem waterproof and prevent it from collapsing under the pressure of water transpiration. Structure.
What are the elements of a phloem?
Phloem has sieve tubes, companion cells, bast fibers as its elements. Phloem originates from meristematic cells in vascular cambium- primary phloem from apical meristem and secondary phloem from vascular cambium.
How does water travel in a xylem?
In xylem vessels water travels by bulk flow rather than cell diffusion. In phloem, concentration of organic substance inside a phloem cell (e.g., leaf) creates a diffusion gradient by which water flows into cells and phloem sap moves from source of organic substance to sugar sinks by turgor pressure.
What are the different types of plant cells?
This picture presents the various types of plant cells, including xylem, phloem, sclerenchyma and collenchyma.
What is the difference between xylem and phloem?
The main difference between xylem and phloem is that xylem is involved in the transportation of water and minerals from roots to the apical parts of the plant whereas phloem is involved in the transportation of food and mineral from leaves to the growing and storing parts of the plant. 1.
What is the Xylem?
Xylem is one of the two complex vascular tissues found in plants. It is involved in the transportation of water and minerals unidirectionally, from roots to the leaves of the plants. Hormones and some small molecules are also transported along with water. The transportation of water is completely a passive process.
What are the two types of vascular tissues?
Xylem and phloem are two types of vascular tissues of plants. Xylem are hard-walled tubular cells, transporting water and minerals unidirectionally from roots to leaves. Phloem are the soft-walled tubular cells, transporting minerals and food in the form of sucrose, bidirectionally, from leaves to storage tissues and from storage tissues ...
What are the two main types of complex tissues found in plants?
Xylem and phloem are the two main types of complex tissues found in plants. Xylem is also called hydromel and is responsible for the conduction of water in plants. Xylem contains heterogeneous cells in structure and function like parenchyma cells, xylem fibers, vessels, and tracheids.
What is the sieve tube in angiosperms?
Sieve elements are called sieve tube member in angiosperms and sieve cell in gymnosperms and ferns. Sieve plate is only found in the angiosperms. It allows the flow between two adjacent cells. Companion cells provide the life support to the sieve element. Types of cells in the phloem is shown in figure 2.
What is the transportation of food through the phloem?
Transportation of food through phloem is called translocation. It occurs by active transport, by using energy from ATP, according to the concentration gradient of sugars. Four types of cells are found in the Phloem: parenchyma cells, phloem fibers, sieve elements and companion cells. Sieve elements and companion cells are closely located, ...
How does a phoem carry food?
Phloem: Phloem carries food bidirectionally from leaves to storage parts and from the storage parts to growing parts.
What is the difference between a phloem and a xylem?
A major difference between the xylem and phloem can be seen in their movement. The movement of the xylem in a plant is unidirectional whereas, the movement of the phloem in a plant is bidirectional.
What are Xylem and Phloem?
In plants, there are different plant tissues which include the reproductive tissue, meristematic tissues, and permanent tissues. The complex permanent tissues are the vascular tissues which include the xylem and phloem. They are the two transport tissues of plant s. They are present in all vascular plants including angiosperms, ferns, horsetails, seedless club mosses, and gymnosperms.
How does the xylem and phloem work?
The xylem and phloem functioning in plants is essential as xylem transport water from the root to the leaves and stems while the phloem transport food from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
What are the two transport tissues of plants?
In plants, there are different plant tissues which include the reproductive tissue, meristematic tissues, and permanent tissues. The complex permanent tissues are the vascular tissues which include the xylem and phloem. They are the two transport tissues of plants. They are present in all vascular plants including angiosperms, ferns, horsetails, seedless club mosses, and gymnosperms.
What are the cell walls of the xylem and phloem made of?
The cell walls of the xylem and phloem consist of cellulose.
What is the function of the xylem?
Hence, the main function of the xylem is to transport water and minerals from the roots to other parts of the plants whereas, the phloem transport nutrients and food from the leaves of the plant to other parts of the plant.
What is the vascular tissue that transports nutrients from the site of photosynthesis to other parts of the plant?
The phloem of plants is the vascular tissue that transports organic nutrients from the site of photosynthesis (leaves) to other parts of the plant. It transports sucrose and amino acids up and down the plant through the process called translocation.
What is the difference between xylem and phloem?
Xylem fibres are usually smaller. Phloem fibres are usually larger called bast fibres. In mature plants, the xylem forms the major bulk of the plant body. In mature plants, the phloem forms the major bulk of the bark. In mature plants, the wood (xylem) is differentiated into heart wood and sap wood.
Where are xylem and phloem developed?
Ø Both xylem and phloem are developed from the cambium.
What are the components of the vascular tissue system in plants?
Xylem and Phloem are the components of the vascular tissue system in plants. In the young parts of the stem, the xylem and phloem are together organized as vascular bundles. Both xylem and phloem are complex tissues which composed of more than one types of cells. The present post describes the similarities and differences between Xylem and Phloem.
What are sieve cells made of?
Composed of sieve elements (sieve cells or sieve tubes), companion cells, parenchyma and fibres. Consists of mainly dead cells (only parenchyma is the living cells in the xylem). Consists mainly of living cells (only fibres are the dead cells in the phloem). Conduct water and minerals. Conduct food materials.
Is the xylem conductive?
The conductive tissue in the xylem is dead (Trac heids and Vessels). The conductive tissue in the phloem is living (Sieve elements). Contain two types of conductive cells (Tracheids and Vessels). Contain only one type of conductive cells (Sieve elements). Majority of the cells in the xylem are thick walled cells.
Is xylem a vascular tissue?
Ø Both xylem and phloem are complex tissue composed of more than one type of cells.#N#Ø Both are the component s of vascular tissue system of plants.#N#Ø Both contain living and dead cells.#N#Ø Both contain parenchymatous cells.#N#Ø Both contain fibres.
Where are the xylem and phloem found?
In the stem they are grouped together in vascular bundles – the xylem are towards the inside and phloem are towards the outside. You may also see other tubes called sclerenchyma fibres nearby. These fibres made from dead cells are just there to provide some extra support to the plant (they have lignin in their cell walls) and they do not transport anything.
Where is the xylem found in the leaves?
In roots, the xylem is in an ‘x’ shape through the middle with the phloem filling the gaps. In leaves, the xylem vessels are found in the upper part of the veins (not the same as animal veins !), and phloem vessels in the lower part. It is important to note that would this would not look the same for all types of plant.
Why are Xylem vessels important?
Xylem vessels transport water and mineral ions up the plant. They also provide support to the plant because they are very strong. Xylem vessels are not a living tissue – they are just long tubes of dead cells with no end walls, forming a hollow tube which water can travel up in one unbroken column. The cell walls of the dead cells are strong because they contain a substance called lignin. There are small areas without lignin called pits where water and mineral ions can enter and leave the xylem vessels.
What is the phloem vessel?
Phloem structure. The phloem vessels have a slightly more complex structure. They transport dissolved substances ( also called solutes or assimilates) such as sugars. In contrast to the xylem, the phloem is a living tissue. Each cell which makes up a sieve tube is called a sieve tube element.

Anatomy
Transportation
- Both phloem and xylem are tubular structures that facilitate easy transportation. In xylem vessels water travels by bulk flow rather than cell diffusion. In phloem, concentration of organic substance inside a phloem cell (e.g., leaf) creates a diffusion gradient by which water flows into cells and phloem sap moves from source of organic substance t...
Functions of Xylem and Phloem
- Xylem transports water and soluble mineral nutrients from roots to various parts of the plant. It is responsible for replacing water lost through transpiration and photosynthesis. Phloemtranslocates sugars made by photosynthetic areas of plants to storage organs like roots, tubers or bulbs. This video explains the biological makeup of xylem and phloem and their role in …
Girdling
- A plant can be killed by stripping away the bark in a circle around the trunk or stem. This destroys the phloem, which is present towards the outside of xylem. This is calle girdling, but such a process has no effecton xylem. This method is used to produce oversized fruits and vegetables.
References
- Xylem - Wikipedia
- Phloem - Wikipedia