Question

Distinguish between xylem and phloem.

 

Answer 1

Xylem	Phloem
1. It conducts water and minerals.	1. It conducts organic solutes or food materials.
2. Conduction is mostlyunidirectional, i.e., from roots to apical parts of the plant.	2. In it conduction may be bidirectional, i.e., from leaves to storage organs or growing parts or from storage organs to growing parts of plants.
3. Conducting channels or tracheary elements are tracheids and vessels.	3. Conducting channels are sieve tubes.
4. Components of xylem include tracheids, vessels, xylem parenchyma and xylem fibres.	4. Components of phloem include sieve tubes, companion cells, phloem parenchyma and phloem fibres.
5. Three of the four elements of xylem are dead (i.e., tracheids, vessels and fibres). Only xylem parenchyma is living.	5. Three of four elements are living (i.e., sieve tubes, companion cells and phloem parenchyma) only phloem fibres are dead.
6. In addition to conduction, xylem provides mechanical strength to the plant.	6. Phloem performs no mechanical function for the plants.