Question
Question: What are the 2 types of vascular tissues in plants?...
What are the 2 types of vascular tissues in plants?
Solution
They are the vascular tissues of the plants that help in the conduction of the minerals and nutrients along with water in the plants. They are also called conduction tissues. One helps in the transportation of water while the other food.
Complete answer
The 2 types of vascular tissues in plants are the xylem and phloem. They are the conducting tissues that are responsible for the transport of water, mainly the xylem, while the transport of food in plants is done by the phloem tissue.
The difference between xylem and phloem are as follows:
Xylem | Phloem |
---|---|
Water and minerals are transported by the Xylem tissue. | Food and various nutrients like amino acids or sugars are transported by the phloem tissue. |
The roots absorb water and transport it to the various parts of the plant that include stem, and leaves. | The leaves produce food by the process of photosynthesis and transport it towards the roots and other storage organs. |
Xylem tissues mainly are the dead cells. | Phloem tissues mainly are the living cells. |
The xylem transports water in one direction from roots to the leaves thus called unidirectional flow. | The phloem transports food in various directions that are from the leaves to the various plant parts thus called bidirectional flow. |
The main function of the xylem tissue is to provide mechanical strength to the plant. | The main function of the phloem is to transport the sugar in the storage organs. |
By the process of transpiration and photosynthesis, the amount of water loss is done through the xylem. | The proteins and mRNAs are transported by the phloem throughout the plant. |
The components of the xylem are vessels, tracheids, parenchyma, and fibers. | The components of the phloem are companion cells, sieve tubes, parenchyma, and fibers. |
Note:
The water and minerals transportation is done by the two separate chambers of the xylem called the tracheids and the vessels. This process does not require energy while the food transportation through the phloem requires energy in the form of ATP. In 1858, Carl Nageli was the first to introduce the terms xylem and phloem. The word xylon is the Greek word from which the term "xylem" was derived, meaning "wood” while the word phloios is another Greek word from which the term phloem was derived, meaning "bark".