Phloem

Phloem is the living tissue in vascular plants that transports the soluble organic compounds made
during photosynthesis and known as photosynthates, in particular the sugar sucrose, to parts of
the plant where needed. This transport process is called translocation.

Translocation

Translocation is the movement of sugar produced in photosynthesis to all other parts of the
plant for respiration and the other processes. This occurs in phloem cells

How the structure of the phloem is suited to its functions?

The cells that make up the phloem are adapted to their function: ... Each sieve tube has a
perforated end so its cytoplasm connects one cell to the next. Companion cells - transport of
substances in the phloem requires energy. One or more companion cells attached to each sieve
tube provide this energy.

Phloem’s function is to transport food materials which is mostly in the form of sugar up and
down the stems of all plants and also leaves. Unlike the Xylem the Phloem consist of living cells
containing a cytoplasm but no nucleus.

They are long, narrow tubes (the important cells of the phloem are the sieve and companion
cells. The cell wall of each cell has sieve plates pierced with small holes. There is a companion
cell next to each sieve cell when they work together to transport sugars from one region to
another sieves it’s called translocation.

The products stored in plants and animals and their site of storage

We and animals store our reserve energy as fats. Our adipose tissues are located in different
part of our body as stomach, arms legs, etc. A little bit of energy is stored as glycogen, present in
our muscle cells and liver, but that is only enough to keep us going for a few hours. This stored
form of glucose is made up of many connected glucose molecules and is called glycogen. When
the body needs a quick boost of energy or when the body isn't getting glucose from food,
glycogen is broken down to release glucose into the bloodstream to be used as fuel for the cells.

Plants store their food in the form of starch in various parts of them. Starch is a polysaccharide
of glucose monomers. Glucose residues are linked by glycosidic bonds. This starch can be stored
in the leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits, and seeds of a plant.

Carbohydrates are stored in plants and animals in the form of starch and glycogen respectively.
Importance of food storage in living organisms

Plants store their extra foods in fruits, stems, roots and leaves. Storing the foods helps them to
use it in winter and survive because there is very little sunlight available and so they
photosynthesize less.

For example:

1. Carrots store food in their roots and live on it all winter and in summers a new plant
grows from these roots.

When they have extra food they store it in their seeds and when the seed grows it gets its
food from the plant until the plants can photosynthesize and produces its food.

Good food storage is very important for a plant. Without this, their leaves would not be able
to photosynthesize and would not be able to produce any food. Rhubarb plants have
poisonous leaves so that animals do not eat them.