Difference between Xylem and Phloem

Xylem and phloem are the two types of plant tissue that transport water and nutrients throughout a plant.

The main difference is xylem transports water throughout plants whereas the phloem transports food around the plant.

Before we move to the differences, let’s understand what are Xylem and Phloem:

  • Xylem: The xylem is the water-conducting tissue in plants. It transports water from the roots up to where it can be used for photosynthesis by transporting it through its vessels.
  • Phloem: Phloem is composed of sieve tubes that transport food through plants via sieve elements filled with sap, which are connected by companion cells.

Xylem vs Phloem

Now, let’s move to Xylem vs Phloem:

Major differences between Xylem and Phloem

Xylem Phloem
Xylem is made up of tracheids which are dead cells. Phloem is made up of living parenchyma cells.
These tissues move in a Unidirectional. These tissues move in a Bidirectional.
It is located in the centre of the vascular bundle. It is located on the outer side of the vascular bundle.
Xylem fibres are smaller. Phloem fibres are larger.
The xylem is the part of the plant that transports water and minerals from the roots to all parts of a tree or plant. Phloem is a transport tissue that moves food, water, and nutrients throughout the plant.

 

That’s it.

Note that sometimes, the question might also be asked as “distinguish between Xylem and Phloem”.

Also see:

Final words

So we can conclude that the xylem and phloem are two tissues that do different things, but both are important for the growth of plants.

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