PLANT TRANSPORT LECTURE
Plants need a way to
transport materials
through their
bodies, too.
Vascular tissue –
cells used by plant
to transport
nutrients and water.
Types of Vascular Tissue
XYLEM – Dead cells that
form “pipes” to carry
water from roots through
leaves.
PHLOEM – Tubes made
from living cells to
transport food; phloem =
food
Types of Vascular Tissue
XYLEM – Only
carries UP
PHLOEM – Carries
food in all
directions (UP and
DOWN)
MONOCOTS
Definition – Have only
one cotyledon (embryo
leaf).
Example – Corn,
grass, tulips.
MONOCOTS
LARGE CELLS ARE XYLEM
Stem pattern –
Scattered xylem and
phloem.
SMALL CELLS ARE
PHLOEM
MONOCOTS
Root pattern – fibrous
MONOCOTS
Root pattern (xylem
and phloem) – ring
MONOCOTS
Leaf pattern – veins
are parallel
MONOCOTS
Flower pattern – parts
are in multiple of 3’s.
DICOTS
Definition – Have two
cotyledons (embryo
leaves).
Example – Trees,
beans, carrots.
DICOTS
LARGE CELLS ARE XYLEM
Stem pattern – Ringshaped xylem and
phloem.
SMALL CELLS ON
OUTSIDE ARE PHLOEM
DICOTS
Root pattern – taproot
DICOTS
Root pattern (xylem
and phloem) – X-shape
DICOTS
Leaf pattern – veins
are branched.
DICOTS
Flower pattern – parts
are in multiples of 4’s
or 5’s.
MATERIALS TRANSPORTED
XYLEM – WATER
DISSOLVED MINERALS
HORMONES
PHLOEM – FOOD/SUGAR
OXYGEN
HORMONES
GIRDLING
Definition – Removing
bark from a tree; fluid
leaks out.
Why is fluid sweet?
Cutting phloem that
transports sap
(food).
End result – Tree
dies.
GIRDLING
HOW DOES XYLEM WORK?
Successive Osmosis –
Water flows high to low
Soil  root hairs 
epidermis  cortex
 xylem
HOW DOES XYLEM WORK?
Cohesion of water
molecules – Water is
“sticky”
HOW DOES XYLEM WORK?
Transpiration – Leaves
“sweat” water which pulls
water up xylem tube.
More than 90% of water
absorbed is lost by leaves.
Ex. Tomato plant loses 25
gallons of water per
season; corn plant loses 51
gallons.
HOW DOES XYLEM WORK?
Turgor presure – Weight
of soil pushes down on
roots and squeezes water
up.
Monocot or Dicot?
Dicot
Monocot
Monocot or Dicot?
Dicot
DICOT ROOT
1 - Epidermis
2 - Cortex
Where would
root hairs be?
How would you
know where the
starch is?