The Vascular Structure of Plants
- Plant stems have two main functions in a plant
- They provide support
- They transport various materials around the plant
Support
- Leaves are attached to stems and are responsible for carrying out photosynthesis
- Stems ensure that leaves are positioned in order to receive maximum levels of sunlight to perform this task
- It also supports flowers in a way that will attract the attention of pollinators
- Plant stems need to be strong, but also flexible, in order to withstand the forces of nature (wind, rain etc.)
Transport
- Leaves require water and mineral ions in order to photosynthesise and carry out other important functions
- The transport tissue in stems provide a route for these substances to travel from the roots to the leaves
- The products of photosynthesis also need to be transported from the tissue where photosynthesis happens to where these substances are needed
- Stems provide a transport route for this to occur
Vascular structure of plants
- Plant stems are made up of different types of plant tissue
- The focus will be on the following tissue types:
- Xylem
- Phloem
- Sclerenchyma
- Xylem and phloem are collectively known as vascular tissue
- They are responsible for transporting various substances around the plant
- Sclerenchyma fibres are associated with the vascular bundles and provide additional support to a stem
- Xylem and phloem are arranged in structures known as vascular bundles
- The arrangement of xylem and phloem differs in the different plant organs
- In a stem, the xylem vessels are always located towards the middle of the stem, while the phloem can be found closer towards the outside of the stem
The arrangement of vascular tissue (xylem and phloem) in roots, stems and leaves