Science 7
Unit 3
Living Things: Protista-Plantae
Name: ______________________________
Date: ______________ Period: __________
Vascular Tissue: Characteristics of Seed Plants
All seed plants share two characteristics; they have vascular tissue and use seeds to reproduce. They all have body plans
that include true roots, stems and leaves. Water, food and nutrients are transported throughout plants in vascular tissue.
There are two types of vascular tissue.
Phloem is the vascular tissue through which food moves. When food is made by photosynthesis in the plant’s leaves, it
enters the phloem and travels to the plant’s stems and roots.
Water and nutrients travel in the vascular tissue called xylem. The plant’s roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
These materials enter the root’s xylem and move upward into the stems and leaves.
Inside the vascular bundle of xylem and phloem is a layer called the cambium. The cells of the cambium divide to
produce new xylem and phloem and to increase the stem’s width, as it grows bigger. The cambium layer also separates
one vascular bundle from another.
The cortex is the outermost layer of the stem or root of a plant and may also be used as food storage in the form of starch.
In some plants it can also contain chlorophyll (if the stems are green).
A covering for the cortex is only a single cell layer thick called dermal tissue or epidermis. This protective layer contains
the cuticle (a waxy layer to hold in moisture).
The inside of the plant stem is made of ground tissue or pith. This is the fleshy part of the plant that makes up the bulk of
the plant and is made of special food storage cells and provides support. It is made of old xylem and cambium.
1. What are the 3 parts of all vascular plants? _______________ _______________ ________________
2. Water and nutrients are absorbed by the plant’s _________________ and travel to the stems and leaves.
3. Which type of vascular tissue moves water and nutrients? __________________
4. Does it flow up or down? ______________________
5. Food is made in the plant’s __________________ and travel to the stems and roots.
6. Which type of vascular tissue moves food? __________________
7. Does it flow up or down? ______________________
Fill in the spaces in the table below.
Part of Plant
Function/Description
8.
Separates xylem and phloem
xylem
9.
10.
Ground tissue that makes up the bulk of the plant
11.
Dermal tissue containing the waxy cuticle
phloem
12.
13.
Outermost layer of a root or stem
14.
Made up of xylem, phloem and cambium