XYLEM AND PHLOEM VESSELS

Objectives: State the function of xylem and phloem vessels

Xylem and Phloem Vessels

Are involved in the absorption and transport of water, minerals and organic substances in
plants.

Differences Between Xylem and Phloem Vessels

Xylem
Conducts water and inorganic salts upwards through the plant.
Gives the plant mechanical support.
Found in leaves, flowers and young stems alongside phloem.
Contain 3 types of elongated cells: tracheids, vessel elements and fibres.
Form a continuous set of tubes which stretch from the roots through the stems and out to the
leaves.

Phloem

Conducts food in the plant.

Consists of cells that are living when they are mature.
Main cells are sieve elements and companion cells.
Carry organic foods from the leaves to the root of the plant.

Pathway of Water Through a Plant

Water moves through the parenchyma cells of the cortex in one of the 3 ways
1. Along the cell walls – this the quickest way for water to move through the cortex.
2. From cell to cell through the cytoplasm – water passes through the small cytoplasmic
channels called plasmodesmata. These pass through the cell wall and connect the
cytoplasm of adjoining cells.
3. From cell to cell through vacuoles – a small amount of water passes by osmosis from
one vacuole to the other.
Forces involved in movement of water

(a) Transpiration pull

 By the force of cohesion water molecules adhere to one another
 By adhesion water molecules are attracted to walls of vessels and tracheids
 These two forces prevent water-columns from breaking under tension set up by
transpiration pull
 Transpiration pull is initiated by transpiration
 As water molecules leave xylem cells in the leaf, they pull up other water molecules

(b) Root pressure

 The soil solution normally has a higher water potential than the solution in the root hair
cells
 As a result, water enters the root hair cells by osmosis and their water potential increases
 Water therefore enters adjacent cortical cells
 This water potential gradient creates a pressure in the root xylem of a plant
 This force is known as root pressure

c) Capillarity

Is the ability of water to rise up a fine tube . the thinner the tube, the higher the water moves
up.

Xylem consists of vessels and tracheids which are elongated with small diameters.

Forces of adhesion exist between water molecules and walls of the xylem tissue.