Transport in Plants

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to the transport systems in plants, including definitions and roles of various tissues and mechanisms.

Xylem

Vascular tissue that transports water and minerals from roots to leaves.

Phloem

Vascular tissue that carries organic nutrients, particularly sugars, from the leaves to other parts of the plant.

Apoplast pathway

Movement of water and solutes through the cell walls and intercellular spaces of a plant.

Symplast pathway

Movement of water and solutes through the cytoplasm via plasmodesmata connecting plant cells.

Cohesion-tension theory

Mechanism that explains how water moves upward through the xylem as a result of evaporation at leaf surfaces.

Companion cells

Living cells in phloem that assist in the transport of sugars to sieve tube elements.

Xerophytes

Plants that are adapted to survive in environments with limited water availability.

Transpiration

The process of water vapor loss from plant leaves, creating a negative pressure that aids in water transport.

Vascular tissue

Plant tissue that conducts water and solutes; consists of xylem and phloem.

Cuticle

A waxy protective layer on the surface of leaves that reduces water loss.

Sieve plates

Structures in phloem that facilitate the flow of sap between sieve tube elements.