Vascular tissue

Vascular tissue is a complex conducting tissue, formed of more than one cell type, found in vascular plants. The primary components of vascular tissue are the xylem and phloem. These two tissues transport fluid and nutrients internally. There are also two meristems associated with vascular tissue: the vascular cambium and the cork cambium. All the vascular plants, from the simplest to the most complex, have some form of vascular tissue.

Structure and Function

Vascular tissue is an assembly of tubes that can carry and distribute water and nutrients. It consists of two main types of tissues: xylem and phloem.

Xylem

Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants. It is responsible for the conduction of water and inorganic ions. Xylem vessels are involved in the movement of water through a plant from the roots to the leaves.

Phloem

Phloem is the living tissue that transports the soluble organic compounds made during photosynthesis and known as photosynthates, in particular sugar, to parts of the plant where needed. This transport process is called translocation.

Vascular Cambium

The vascular cambium is the main growth layer in the stems and roots of many plants, specifically in dicots such as buttercups and oak trees, and gymnosperms like pine trees. Its cells divide and add more xylem and phloem.

Cork Cambium

Cork cambium is a tissue found in many vascular plants as part of the epidermis. The cork cambium is a lateral meristem and is responsible for secondary growth that replaces the epidermis in roots and stems.

See Also

• Plant anatomy
• Plant physiology
• Meristem
• Dicotyledon
• Gymnosperm

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