Plant Transport

Xylem and phloem 

Function 
The transport system in plants is mainly made of the xylem and phloem tissue. 

 Xylem tissue transports water, mineral ions, and solutes from the roots to the leaves. 
 Phloem tissue transports nutrients from the leaves to the rest of the plant. 

Structure
You need to be able to recognize the xylem & phloem in three different parts of the
plant: leaf, stem, and root 

Leaf

Stem
Root

Water uptake in roots

Root structure 
Water, mineral ions, and other nutrients are absorbed into the plants vis

roots. . 

Root hair cells are cellular extensions which drastically increase the surface area for absorption.  

Waters moves from the soil into the xylem via osmosis. 

 
Pathway of water through a plant

Movement in the root

Water in the soil is absorbed into the root hair cells via osmosis. It then makes it way through the
root cortex, across the endodermis, and into finally into the xylem. 

Movement in the xylem

Water moves up the xylem due to a combination of factors that include: transpirational pool, root
pressure, and cohesion. 

Transpiration pool is when water leaves the leaf via transpiration and therefore results in
negative pressure at the top of the plant.  

Root pressure is when water is absorbed in the roots via osmosis resulting to positive pressure at
the bottom of the plant.

A column of water is drawn up the plant from low to high pressure. Water molecules ‘stick
together’ due to cohesion allowing the entire column of water to be drawn. 

Water movement in the xylem is much like water movement in a straw. When you
stuck on the top end of the straw it reduces pressure compared to the bottom of the
straw. A column of liquid is therefore drawn from low to high pressure. The liquid
column sticks together due to cohesion. 
Movement in the leaf
Water enters the leaf through the vascular bundle and can move directly into palisade or spongy
mesophyll cells to be used for photosynthesis. 

Otherwise water evaporates into the air spaces in the spongy mesophyll layer, where they diffuse
out via the stomata. We call this transpiration. 

Transpiration
Transpiration is the loss of water vapor from leaves via the stomata.

Once water enters the leaf via the xylem vessels of the vascular bundle, it travels to the
mesophyll cells to be used in photosynthesis.

Some water remains on the surfaces of these mesophyll cells and evaporate into the air spaces of
the spongy mesophyll layer. Water vapor diffuses out of the leave via the stomata. 

Factors that affect transpiration rate are: 

 Temperature
o Higher temperatures result in faster moving molecules and therefore increases
diffusion rate, which in turn, increases transpiration rate
 Humidity 
o Higher humidity results in a lower concentration gradient and thus reduces
diffusion rate, which in turn, reduces transpiration rate 

Translocation
Translocation is the movement of sucrose and amino acids in the phloem from the source to the
sink. 

 Source is the region of production 

 Sink is the region of storage OR where they are used in respiration or growth 

Some parts of the plant may act as a source and sink at different times during the plant life. 

 Leaves are the source most of the time but can become a sink in periods of growth i.e.
after autumn when plants growth their leaves again