Phloem Transport: Flow From Source To Sink
A crucial part of plant nutrition is the sugars that the plant produces during photosynthesis. Similar to how the vascular system transports water, sugar is transported throughout the entire plant in the form of sucrose, despite glucose being the primary result of photosynthetic activity.
Nutrient-demanding dissolved sugars are transported from the leaves (where they are produced) or storage sites to other sections of the plant through the phloem, the vascular tissue that distributes organic nutrients throughout the body of the plant. Sugars in the phloem travel from high osmotic concentration and high water pressure regions, known as sources, to low osmotic concentration and low water pressure regions, known as sinks.
Source
The sources of sugar for the remaining portion of the plant are referred to as nutrient-rich regions. the leaves, where sugar is made through photosynthesis. When nutrients are abundant, the places where they are stored, such as the roots and stems, may also serve as sources. Sugar is transferred to the phloem by active transport.
Sinks
The phloem system’s ability to transport nutrients is unaffected by gravity. Contrarily, sucrose is translocated from the source (the leaf) to the site of metabolism or storage, which is referred to as a sink.
Phloem Transport
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:
- Phloem
- 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.