Question

What are the differences between the transport of materials in xylem and phloem?

Answer 1

	Transport of materials in xylem	Transport of materials in phloem
(i)	Xylem transports water and dissolved minerals from the soil, via the roots, to the rest of the plant.	Phloem transports food materials from the leaves to different parts of the plant.
(ii)	Movement of water is unidirectional, i.e. upwards from the roots to the aerial parts of the plant.	Movement of food is bidirectional, i.e. both upward and downward.
(iii)	Transport of material in the xylem requires physical forces such as transpirational pull.	Transport of material in the phloem requires energy in the form of ATP.