Question

Why is the transportation system in plants very slow?

Answer 1

Transportation within the plant bodies is a very important process. The process is necessary to transport water and minerals from the soil via the roots to the leaves, where the energy releasing organic molecule, starch, is synthesized by means of photosynthesis. And to transport the reserve food materials to other storage parts such as roots, stems, fruits, etc.

Complete answer:
The transportation within the plants takes place through two types of tissues, the xylem and the phloem. They extend throughout the plant body to facilitate the transportation process. Xylem transports water and minerals to the leaves or other photosynthetic organs and phloem translocates the reserve food materials to the other plant parts.
This transportation system in plants is slow in nature because plant bodies have a relatively larger composition of dead cells within. And they don’t move from one place to another, thus their energy expenditure is low. Thus the transport of materials within the plants is slow in nature when compared to that in the animals which have a higher energy expenditure due to their ability to locomote. Another reason for the slower transportation is due to the absence of any organ system for the same.

Note:
In higher animals, there is a well-established transportation system. The organ systems that contribute to this process are the circulatory as well as the excretory system. The circulatory system transports nutrients and gases throughout the body and the excretory system transports and releases the waste products formed and prevents its accumulation in the body.