How is Food Transported in Plants

How is Food Transported in Plants?

Answer: The xylem tissue in plants helps in the transportation of water in minerals. Water is absorbed by the roots of the plants by actively consuming ions. 

The transportation of food in plants is known as translocation. The conducting tissue in plants called phloem helps in the transfer of food. Amino acids, glucose, and other substances are transported through leaves to roots, shoots, fruits, and seeds. 

The sieve tube present in plants takes the help of companion cells for the upward and downward movement of food. The energy from the ATP molecules is utilised by the phloem tubes to transport the food made in the leaves. 

The energy from the ATP is used to create osmotic pressure in the tissue which helps in the transportation of water. The pressure created in the phloem helps in the movement of materials to the tissue having less pressure. 

The food materials are moved in the plant with the help of this pressure according to the needs of the plant. For example- sucrose is transported to the phloem in a plant with the help of energy absorbed by the ATP. 

The phloem is a vascular tissue of the plant. The synthesised molecules of food are transported to the roots, fruits and stem with the help of phloem. The phloem tissue is composed of different specialised cells such as companion cells, sieve tubes, phloem parenchyma and phloem fibres. 

The soluble organic compounds made during the process of photosynthesis are rich in sucrose. It is a source of food for plants. The phloem tissue consists of living cells that transport sap. The sap is a water solution that is rich in sugar. It is made by the process of photosynthesis.

The sugar made by the leaves is transported to the non-photosynthetic parts of the plant and the storage structures such as tubers.