XYLEM AND PHLOEM

• Xylem is composed of tubular structures that provide support and facilitate water and mineral transport throughout the plant. It contains tracheids, vessel elements, xylem fibers, and xylem parenchyma.
• Xylems primary function is to conduct water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant. It also contributes to the mechanical support of the plant.
• Component of Xylem:

  Tracheids: Long, thin cells with tapered ends, found in all vascular plants, facilitating water movement through pits.
• Component of Xylem:

  Vessel Elements: Shorter, wider cells than tracheids, connected end-to-end to form continuous tubes called vessels, found in angiosperms.
• Component of Xylem:

  Xylem Fibers: Provide structural support.
• Component of Xylem:

  Xylem Parenchyma: Stores nutrients and assists in the lateral transport of water and minerals.
• Xylem is characterized by its ability to transport water against gravity, enabled by the cohesion-tension mechanism.
• Phloem is made up of living cells that transport sugars and other metabolic products downward from the leaves to the roots.
• Phloem's primary role of phloem is the transport of photosynthates (sugars) throughout the plant, known as translocation.
• Components of Phloem:

  Sieve Tube Elements: Cylindrical cells that are arranged end-to-end, forming tubes. They lack nuclei at maturity but are functional due to the presence of companion cells.
• Components of Phloem:

  Companion Cells: Maintain the metabolic functions of sieve tube elements and facilitate the loading and unloading of sugars into sieve tubes.
• Components of Phloem:

  Phloem Fibers: Provide mechanical support.
• Components of Phloem:

  Phloem Parenchyma: Involved in storage and the lateral transport of solutes.
• Phloem is unique for its role in the active transport of soluble organic substances, enabling the plant to distribute nutrients efficiently to growing or storage tissues.