Explore the major difference between the two. Xylem is present in vascular plants and is made up of different types cells, such as … This structure prevents the passage of damaging air bubbles from one xylem … Functions of xylem:Conductive tissue: moving water from the roots through the stems to the leaves. The main function of xylem cells is to carry water and soluble minerals from the root to the leaves of a plant. What is xylem? The main function of xylem fibres is to perform the function of mechanical support.The walls are highly lignified and protoplasm is absent. Xylem can be defined as a complex tissue that is composed of four basic types of cell (tracheids, trachea, and xylem fibre and xylem parenchyma), remains in close association with phloem and has specialized functions like conduction of water and solutes, and mechanical strength. It is responsible for replacing water lost through transpiration and photosynthesis. Xylem and phloem in roots. The term xylem was proposed by Nageli (1858) and he derived the word from a Greek word ‘xylos’ meaning wood. The xylem and phloem are grown within the central section of a root called a ‘stele’. The xylem is one of the conductive tissues in plants. 4. The water-conducting function of xylem is one of the major distinguishing features of vascular plants. Water entering via osmosis can originate from xylem- but sugars do not enter xylem. In eudicots, the xylem usually forms a cross of cells within the stele which runs the length of the root. Increased pressure at site of phloem loading and osmosis causes flow in sieve cells that is away from site of phloem loading. Four independent phloem strands grow between each bar of the xylem cross. Xylem cells form long tubes that transport materials and the mixture of water and nutrients that flows through the xylem cells is called xylem sap. Xylem and phloem together constitute the conducting tissues in plants. High [sugar] and thus lower [water] in sieve cells results in osmosis of water from outside sieve cells into the sieve cells. Functions of Xylem and Phloem. Xylem and Phloem are two different types of tissues which function by transporting minerals, water, nutrients, from the roots to other parts of the plant. All vascular plants have tracheids, which are less specialized but have a special cell wall known as a pit membrane. Xylem vessels have lignified walls (thickened with lignin, which is a complex aromatic compound) Function: Waterproof/impermeable; stops the inward collapse of the xylem vessel under tension Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants (phloem is the other). 3. It is a complex tissue composed of many types of cells. Phloem translocates sugars made by photosynthetic areas of plants to storage organs like roots, tubers or bulbs. Xylem transports water and soluble mineral nutrients from roots to various parts of the plant. 2. 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