Phloem Transport: Flow From Source To Sink

Question 1: What does “source to sink transport” Mean?

Answer:

One of the key factors influencing plant growth is the source-to-sink transport of sugar, which depends on the effective and controlled distribution of sucrose (and some other sugars including raffinose and polyols) throughout plant organs through the phloem.

Question 2: Why does phloem travel in both directions?

Answer:

Phloem movement is bidirectional because sucrose accumulates in the phloem tissue, absorbs water, and raises the turgor pressure. The turgor pressure is low as a result of other areas losing water.

Question 3: Differentiate between diffusion and translocation in plants? 

Answer:

Due to the kinetic energy of the particles, diffusion is the movement of substances from their greater concentration to their lower concentration. Typically, it happens in all directions. Translocation is the term used to describe the large-scale movement of substances in solutions from inside plant channels in one direction to another due to forces other than the kinetic energy of the particles.

Question 4: Name the form of carbohydrates that are transported in plants as food. 

Answer:

In plants, food is transported in the form of sucrose.

Question 5: What are the main components of phloem sap?

Answer:

Sugars, amino acids, vitamins, and organic and inorganic acids are the primary components of phloem sap.

In plants, transportation is an important process. From roots to the tips of their leaves, plants carry the water and nutrients which are required to survive. The water and minerals are transported in plants by:

1. Phloem
2. Xylem

Xylem and phloem tissues are present all over the plants. These conducting tissues grow from the roots of trees and ascend through the trunks. Like spider webs, they eventually branch off into the branches and spread even more into every leaf.