Water moving in the xylem up the stem

• The water is removed from the top of the xylem vessels into the mesophyll cells down the water potential gradient
• The push of water upwards is aided by the root pressure which is where the action of the endodermis moving minerals into the xylem by active transport, drives water into the xylem by osmosis, thus pushing it upwards
• The flow of water is also maintained with the help of surface tension of water and the attractive forces between water molecules known as cohesion
• The action of these two forces in combination is known as the tension-cohesion theory, which is further supported by capillary action where the forces involved in cohesion cause the water molecule to adhere to the walls of xylem, thus pulling water up