Transportation of food from leaves to other plant parts

CBSE Class 9 CBSE Class 9 Science
1

Briefly discuss the type of complex permanent tissue which have following functions in plants.

  1. Transportation of water and minerals from roots to other parts.
  2. Transportation of food from leaves to other plant parts.
2

The transportation system of plants is composed of complex permanent tissues. These tissues are made up of more than one type of cells and all these cells coordinate to perform a common specific function. These cells may appear structurally different, but they perform the same function. The permanent tissues are of two types, xylem and phloem. They maintain the transportation occurring in the plants which is necessary for their growth and development.

  1. Xylem transports water and minerals from roots to other parts of the plant.
    Xylem consists of
    • Tracheids and Vessels Tubular structure, transport water and minerals vertically.
    • Parenchyma Stores food, helps in sideways conduction of water.
    • Fibres Supportive in function
      image
  2. Phloem transports food from leaves to other parts of the plant. Food is prepared in leaves by the process of photosynthesis.
    Elements of Phloem
    • Sieve tubes These are tubular cells with perforated walls. These consist of living cells.
    • Companion cells These are small elongated cells with dense cytoplasm.
    • Phloem parenchyma These are thin-walled cells. Main function is storage and transportation of food
    • Phloem fibres These are dead and thick-walled cells. These provide mechanical strength to tissue.
      image