The primary components of vascular tissue are the xylem and phloem, which transport fluid and nutrients internally, just like blood vessels in humans.
A vascular system is what distributes water and nutrients to different parts of a plant. Vascular systems are made up of xylem and phloem, or vascular tissue.
The main difference between xylem and phloem is that xylem transports water, and phloem transports food. Here's a trick to help you remember: phloem carries food because they both start with an 'f' sound!
Xylem conducts water from the roots, through the shoots, and out of the plant. Most xylem cells are dead cells that form a hollow cylinder, like a sort of pipe, that travels through the entire plant root to leaf. Water escapes plants through leaves via transpiration, the process of water loss by evaporation. Xylem also functions by transporting dissolved minerals, and, because the cells have thick cell walls, provides some means of support for the plant.
Phloem primarily conducts sucrose made in the leaves to the rest of the plant. It also carries molecules necessary for growth and defense. Unlike xylem, which conducts water up, phloem's contents, or 'sap,' move as needed to different parts of the plant. For example, phloem might move sucrose from the leaves to the roots for storage during the summer, and then back up to the leaves in the spring to be used as energy for budding. Unlike xylem cells, phloem cells are alive. Often xylem and phloem grow next to one another in a structure called a vascular bundle.
Biology is the study of life and teaches us about ourselves and the natural world around us. A good starting point when studying biology is to admire the perfection of nature and the principles of life.
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