phloem
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.2|Phloem (orange) transports products of photosynthesis to various parts of the plant.|alt= thumb|Cross-section of a flax plant stem:
AI overview
Phloem is a tissue in plants that transports sugars and other products made during photosynthesis from the leaves to the rest of the plant. This distribution of nutrients is essential for plants to grow and survive, allowing them to use the energy they've captured from sunlight throughout their entire structure.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
15 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Conducting cells (sieve elements)
- Parenchyma cells
- Companion cells
- Albuminous cells
- Supportive cells
- Fibres
- Sclereids
- Function
- Girdling
- Origin
- Nutritional use
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|upright=1.2|Phloem (orange) transports products of photosynthesis to various parts of the plant.|alt= thumb|Cross-section of a flax plant stem:
Phloem (, ) is the living tissue in vascular plants that transports the soluble organic compounds made during photosynthesis and known as photosynthates, in particular the sugar sucrose, to the rest of the plant. This transport process is called translocation. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, hence the name, derived from the Ancient Greek word (phloiós), meaning "bark". The term was introduced by Carl Nägeli in 1858. Different types of phloem can be distinguished. The early phloem formed in the growth apices is called protophloem. Protophloem eventually becomes obliterated once it connects to the durable phloem in mature organs, the metaphloem. Further, secondary phloem is formed during the thickening of stem structures.