Features of phloem vessels

• The features of phloem vessels include:

  • They are tubes made of living cells

  • Involved in translocation which is the movement of nutrients to storage organs

  and growing parts of the plant

  • Consist of sieve tube elements and companion cells

  • Sieve tube elements form a tube to transport sugars such as sucrose, in the dissolved form of sap. This transport can be upwards or downwards.
• More features of phloem vessels:

  • Companion cells are involved in ATP production for active processes such as loading

  sucrose into sieve tubes

  • Cytoplasm of sieve tube elements and companion cells is linked through plasmodesmata which are gaps between cell walls allowing communication and flow of substances such as minerals between the cells