3.1.

3 TRANSPORT
IN PLANT
(VASCULAR
SYSTEM)
JESUS.SOSADELGADO@NCCLONDON.AC.UK
LEARNING OUTCOME

Learners should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of:
• The need for transport systems in multicellular plants To include an appreciation of size, metabolic
rate and surface area to volume ratio (SA:V). M0.1, M0.3, M0.4, M1.1, M2.1, M4.1 HSW1, HSW3,
HSW5, HSW8
• the structure and function of the vascular system in the roots, stems and leaves of herbaceous
dicotyledonous plants, including xylem vessels, sieve tube elements and companion cells. 
• The examination and drawing of stained sections of plant tissue to show the distribution of xylem and
phloem PAG1 HSW4
• The dissection of stems, both longitudinally and transversely, and their examination to demonstrate
the position and structure of xylem vessels PAG2 HSW4
THE NEED OF SPECIALISED EXCHANGE
SURFACE AND TRANSPORT IN PLANT
• Large multicellular plants have a low surface area to volume ratio
• The cells are distant from the extracellular environment
• There is a greater demand (high metabolic rate) for materials and the need to remove a
greater amount of waste produced due to the large number of cells
• Diffusion is not adequate to meet the demands
Multicellular plants need specialised exchange surfaces and mass flow transport systems to obtain
essential materials from the environment and transport them to the cells
Plants need a transport system to move:
• Water and minerals from roots up to the leaves
• Sugar from the leaves to the rest of the plant.
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VASCULAR TISSUE (PHLOEM AND
XYLEM)
There are two types of tissue (vascular) involved in transport in plant;
• XYLEM: transport water and mineral ions in solution upward.
• PHLOEM: transport sugar up and down the plant.
• Phloem and xylem make up a plant´s vascular system
VASCULAR TISSUE (XYLEM)
• Xylem tissue consists of vessel elements (tubes) for transport of water and dissolved minerals upwards (from the
roots to the aerial parts) by the process of transpiration, fibres for support, and living parenchyma cells.
• Xylem contains 4 types of cell 1. vessels 2. tracheids 3. parenchyma 4. fibres
XYLEM VESSELS:
• LIGNIN impregnates the walls of the vessel cells, making the wall waterproof, provide strength and support,
prevents the cells collapsing, create a hollow tube, limit lateral flow of water, enabling them to withstand the
negative pressures generated as water is pulled up through their lumens. This kill the cell, therefore xylem vessels
are dead cells (no cytoplasm or organelles) -less resistance to flow as lumen are wide.
• The lignin thickening forms patterns in the cell wall, this can be spiral, anular (rings) or reticulate (a network
of broken rings). This prevent the vessel from being too rigid and allow some flexibility of the stem or branch.
• Vessels consist of hollow cells with wide lumens. Cells are linked end to end by plates with pores or
perforations in a drainpipe fashion. End walls have one or more perforations - allows rapid transport of large
volumes of water from roots up through the stem.
• Side walls may have bordered pits (unlignified areas) - allows lateral movement of water and supply water to
other tissue.
VASCULAR TISSUE (XYLEM VESSEL)
 VASCULAR TISSUE (XYLEM)
TRACHEIDS
• Tracheids Dead, hollow cells with narrower lumens than vessels.
Tracheids are connected vertically to each other via bordered pits.
Narrower lumens encourages capillarity. (only find in conifers plants,
such as pines).
PARENCHYMA
• Parenchyma are living cells with thin cellulose walls with living
contents - contribute to support via turgidity.
FIBRES
• Fibres Similar to fibres in sclerenchyma - provide strength.
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VASCULAR TISSUE (PHLOEM)
• Phloem transports organic solutes (assimilates). Sugars are transported from sources (leaves) to
sinks (roots and growing regions).
• The sucrose is dissolve in water and form sap.
• Phloem tissue consists of sieve tubes made up of SIEVE TUBE ELEMENT AND
COMPANION CELLS.
SIEVE TUBE ELEMENTS
• Living, tubular cells linked end to end forming sieve tube. End walls are perforated and
form a sieve plate - allows bidirectional flow of solutes and hormones
• Sieve tube elements contain little cytoplasm, no nucleus, no vacuoles, no ribosomes, and
few other organelles so flow of solutes not impeded. Sieve tubes have thin wall.
• The cytoplasm of each sieve tube element is connected directly to its own living companion
cell, via strands of cytoplasm in channels termed plasmodesmata passing through the cell
walls  allowing exchange of materials
• Plasmodesmata allow exchange of substances between the sieve tube element and the
companion cell.
VASCULAR TISSUE (SIEVE TUVE
ELEMENT)
 VASCULAR TISSUE (PHLOEM)
• Phloem transports organic solutes (assimilates). Sugars are transported from sources (leaves) to sinks
(roots and growing regions).
• The sucrose is dissolve in water and form sap.
• Phloem tissue consists of sieve tubes made up of SIEVE TUBE ELEMENT AND COMPANION
CELLS.
COMPANION CELLS
• The companion cells contain a nucleus, dense endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes and NUMEROUS
MITOCHONDRIA – mitochondria provide energy (ATP) for the metabolic needs and active
transport.
• The companion cells use ATP and co-transporter proteins to load sucrose into the phloem.

Phloem transports phloem sap containing substances

(solutes/assimilates) from where they are made, stored, or
absorbed, the sources, to where they are used or stored, the
sinks
VASCULAR TISSUE (PHLOEM)
VASCULAR TISSUE (PHLOEM)
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SCIENTIFIC DRAWING (PHLOEM)
SCIENTIFIC DRAWING (XYLEM)
PHLOEM VS XYLEM
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VASCULAR TISSUE (PHLOEM AND
XYLEM)
• Dicotyledonous plants (flowering plant) are those that have two seed leaves, and have a very
characteristic distribution of vascular tissue.
• The phloem and xylem are found together in VASCULAR BUNDLES.
• This bundles may also contain Other types of tissue (COLLENCHYMA AND
SCLERENCHYMA) that give the bundle some STREGTH and help to SUPPORT the plant.
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(ROOT)
• The vascular bundle is found at the centre of a young root.
• Xylem in the centre with shape of X
• Phloem is found in between the arms of the X shape of xylem tissue.
• This arrangement provides strength to withstand the pulling forces to which root are exposed.
• Endodermis: around vascular bundle is a special sheath of cells  get water into xylem
• Inside the endodermis is a layer of meristem cells called the pericycle  gives rise to new
lateral roots
• Cambium: Stem cells giving rise to xylem and phloem in the root
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(ROOT)
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(ROOT)
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(ROOT)
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(ROOT)
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 LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(STEM)
• Vascular bundles arranged in a ring around periphery to provide flexibility and support
• Xylem is found toward the inside of each vascular bundle and the phloem towards the outside.
• Cambium: between the xylem and phloem and cells make up this tissue is called MERISTEM.
• Sclerenchyma forms vascular bundle caps
• Collenchyma found in cortex beneath epidermis, provides flexible support in wind
• Chlorenchyma - may be found below epidermis – allows growing shoot to photosynthesise
• Stomata or lenticels may be present – allows gaseous exchange for photosynthesis and respiration
• No endoderm

Reinforcing rods:
strength
flexibility
withstand bending
movement due to
wind.
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(STEM)
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(STEM)
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(STEM)
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LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(LEAF)
• Vascular bundles form the midrib and veins of a leaf
• The midrib and veins support the leaf and distribute water to cells (for photosynthesis and
other functions)
• Xylem is on top of the phloem
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(LEAF)
LOCATION OF VASCULAR SYSTEM
(LEAF)
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 TOLUIDINE BLUE is a differential stain allowing us
to distinguish different cells.

The table above shows the colours that you should expect to see
in your preparation with toluidine blue
The specimen has to be very thin slices In
preparations several cells thick the light must
travel through the other cell layers, reducing the
quality of the image, and at low magnifications
several cells could simultaneously lie within the
focal plane giving a muddled overlayered image of
several cells at once

The sections of specimen must be transverse

or longitudinal rather than oblique section:
Cutting at an angle makes it much harder to
interpret the image especially in vascular
tissue where the appearance of longitudinal
tubes is altered by oblique sectioning (e.g.
where a truly transverse section would give a
clear view of the diameter of the tube, an
oblique section of a cylindrical tube will
appear as an elongated oval).
PLANT DISSECTION
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SCIENTIFIC DRAWING
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DRAWING ERRORS GOOD TECHNIQUE

SCIENTIFIC
DRAWING
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