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xylem vs. phloem

xylem vs. phloem: What's the difference?

In plants, the xylem is the system that transports water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant—along with providing some structural support. The phloem is the system that carries food from the leaves (and other places where it’s been photosynthesized) to the rest of the plant.

xylem

[ zahy-luhm, -lem ]
noun
  1. a compound tissue in vascular plants that helps provide support and that conducts water and nutrients upward from the roots, consisting of tracheids, vessels, parenchyma cells, and woody fibers.

phloem

[ floh-em ]
noun
  1. the part of a vascular bundle consisting of sieve tubes, companion cells, parenchyma, and fibers and forming the food-conducting tissue of a plant.