What is the primary function of xylem in vascular plants?

What is the primary function of xylem in vascular plants?

• A. Xylem
• B. Phloem
• C. Vascular cambium
• D. Chloroplasts

Answer: (A)

Water moves through xylem from the roots to the rest of the plant, and this tissue also provides structural support. Xylem is made of hollow, lignified cells such as vessel elements and tracheids that form continuous conduits, allowing water and dissolved minerals to travel upward. The lignin in their walls strengthens the tissue, helping the plant stand upright as transpiration creates a pulling force from the leaves. So the primary function is upward transport of water and minerals, with the added benefit of mechanical support. Phloem handles the distribution of sugars and other organic nutrients from photosynthetic areas to non-photosynthetic parts. The vascular cambium is a growth layer that produces new xylem and phloem, expanding the plant's girth, but it is not the transport tissue itself. Chloroplasts are the sites of photosynthesis, not involved in long-distance water transport.

Water moves through xylem from the roots to the rest of the plant, and this tissue also provides structural support. Xylem is made of hollow, lignified cells such as vessel elements and tracheids that form continuous conduits, allowing water and dissolved minerals to travel upward. The lignin in their walls strengthens the tissue, helping the plant stand upright as transpiration creates a pulling force from the leaves. So the primary function is upward transport of water and minerals, with the added benefit of mechanical support.

Phloem handles the distribution of sugars and other organic nutrients from photosynthetic areas to non-photosynthetic parts. The vascular cambium is a growth layer that produces new xylem and phloem, expanding the plant's girth, but it is not the transport tissue itself. Chloroplasts are the sites of photosynthesis, not involved in long-distance water transport.