21.1 Plant 22.

2:
CellsVascular System
and Tissues TEKS 5B, 10B, 10C

KEY CONCEPT
The vascular system allows for the transport of
water, minerals, and sugars.
 21.1 Plant 22.2:
CellsVascular System
and Tissues TEKS 5B, 10B, 10C

Water and dissolved minerals move through xylem.

• Xylem contains specialized cells.
– vessel elements are short and wide
– tracheid cells are long and narrow
– xylem cells die at maturity

tracheid

vessel
element
 21.1 Plant 22.2:
CellsVascular System
and Tissues TEKS 5B, 10B, 10C

• The cohesion-tension theory explains water movement.

– Plants passively transport water through the xylem.
– Cohesion is the tendency of water molecules to bond
with each other.
– Adhesion is the
tendency of water
molecules to bond
with other
substances.
 21.1 Plant 22.2:
CellsVascular System
and Tissues TEKS 5B, 10B, 10C

• Water travels from roots to the top of trees.

– absorption occurs at roots
– cohesion and adhesion in xylem
– transpiration at leaves
 21.1 Plant 22.2:
CellsVascular System
and Tissues TEKS 5B, 10B, 10C

• Transpiration is the loss of water

vapor through leaves.
– water vapor exits leaf stomata
– helps pull water to the top
branches
 21.1 Plant 22.2:
CellsVascular System
and Tissues TEKS 5B, 10B, 10C

Phloem carries sugars from photosynthesis throughout

the plant.
• Phloem contains specialized cells.
– sieve tube elements have
holes at ends
– companion cells help sieve
tube elements
– unlike xylem, phloem tissue is
alive
 21.1 Plant 22.2:
CellsVascular System
and Tissues TEKS 5B, 10B, 10C

• The Pressure-flow model explains sugar movement.

– plants actively transport sugar from the source
– sugar flows to the sink due to pressure differences

phloem xylem

sugars

2 Water moves from the

1 Sugars move from their xylem into the
source, such as phloem by osmosis,
photosynthesizing water due to the higher
leaves, into the phloem. concentration of the
sugars in the phloem.
The water flow helps
move sugars through
the phloem.
3 The sugars move into
the sink, such as root
or fruit, where the are
stored.