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What is the primary function of the xylem tissue in plants?
Transport of food
Transport of water
Photosynthesis
Structural support
Transport of water
Xylem is a specialized vascular tissue in plants responsible for transporting water and dissolved minerals absorbed from the roots to the stem and leaves. It plays a vital role in maintaining plant hydration and supporting metabolic processes.
Xylem is a specialized vascular tissue in plants responsible for transporting water and dissolved minerals absorbed from the roots to the stem and leaves. It plays a vital role in maintaining plant hydration and supporting metabolic processes.
It acts just like a drinking straw, drawing up liquids from the bottom (roots) to the top (leaves) through suction forces.
Remember: 'Xylem transports Water' (X and W) and 'Phloem transports Food' (P and F).
╬и=╬иsтАЛ+╬иpтАЛ тАФ Water potential equation governing water movement in plants
Water transport through xylem is primarily driven by the transpiration pull created by the evaporation of water from leaf stomata, generating a negative pressure gradient. Root pressure also contributes minor upward force, allowing water to move upward through dead, hollow tubular structures like tracheids and vessels.
Xylem tissue consists of four main elements: tracheids, vessels, xylem parenchyma, and xylem fibres.
Except for xylem parenchyma, all other xylem elements are dead cells at maturity.
The transport of water and minerals in xylem is unidirectional (upward).
Uptake of water and minerals in terrestrial plants
Distribution of soil nutrients to aerial plant parts
| Feature | Xylem | Phloem |
|---|---|---|
Primary Transport | Water and minerals | Organic food / sugars |
Direction of Flow | Unidirectional (Upward) | Bidirectional |
Option A is incorrect because food transport is the function of phloem tissue.
Option C is incorrect because photosynthesis occurs in chloroplast-containing cells using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water.
Option D is incorrect because while some xylem cells provide structural support, the primary and principal function is water transport.
B is correct тАФ Xylem tissue is primarily responsible for the transport of water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant.
For railway and competitive exams, always remember that xylem transport is unidirectional (root to leaf) while phloem transport is bidirectional (source to sink).
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