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Related Concept Videos

Phloem and Sugar Transport02:02

Phloem and Sugar Transport

Like many living organisms, plants have tissues that specialize in specific plant functions. For example, shoots are well adapted to rapid growth, while roots are structured to acquire resources efficiently. However, sugar production is primarily restricted to the photosynthetic cells that reside in the leaves of angiosperm plants. Sugar and other resources are transported from photosynthetic tissues to other specialized tissues by a process called translocation.
Short-distance Transport of Resources02:12

Short-distance Transport of Resources

Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources02:03

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

The xylem of vascular plants distributes water and dissolved minerals that are taken up by the roots to the rest of the plant. The cells that transport xylem sap are dead upon maturity, and the movement of xylem sap is a passive process.
The Apoplast and Symplast01:46

The Apoplast and Symplast

Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...
Membrane Asymmetry Regulating Transporters01:19

Membrane Asymmetry Regulating Transporters

Enzymes like flippase, floppase, and scramblase transfer phospholipids from one layer to another in the membrane, thereby affecting membrane asymmetry.
Flippase
Eukaryotic flippases are type-IV P-type ATPases or P4-ATPases belonging to P-type ATPase family proteins that are membrane-bound pumps involved in the ATP-mediated transport of ions and molecules across the membrane. Flippases flip specific phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet of a membrane. All P4-ATPases have one...
Facilitated Diffusion01:16

Facilitated Diffusion

The plasma membrane, a critical structure in cellular biology, houses an array of transporters, or carrier proteins, interspersed within its lipid bilayer. These proteins play a crucial role in solute transport through facilitated diffusion, a form of passive diffusion that uses transporters to move the molecules across the membrane.
In this process, substrates such as organic compounds and ions interact with a transporter on one side, triggering conformational changes in proteins that enable...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Collection and Analysis of Arabidopsis Phloem Exudates Using the EDTA-facilitated Method
09:38

Collection and Analysis of Arabidopsis Phloem Exudates Using the EDTA-facilitated Method

Published on: October 23, 2013

Structural and functional heterogeneity in phloem loading and transport.

Thomas L Slewinski1, Cankui Zhang, Robert Turgeon

  • 1Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University Ithaca, NY, USA.

Frontiers in Plant Science
|July 13, 2013
PubMed
Summary

The plant phloem, a vital transport system, is more complex than previously thought. Research reveals diverse sieve element-companion cell complexes and multiple loading strategies, indicating specialized functions await discovery.

Keywords:
companion cellsheterogeneityphloem loadingsieve elements

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Published on: January 9, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Plant Biology
  • Plant Physiology
  • Molecular Botany

Background:

  • The phloem is traditionally viewed as a simple transport system with distinct loading, transport, and unloading zones.
  • This simplified model does not fully capture the intricate nature of phloem functionality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the complexity and heterogeneity of the phloem transport system.
  • To investigate the diversity of sieve element-companion cell complexes and their implications for plant physiology.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of gene expression data.
  • Anatomical and biochemical investigations.
  • Comparative studies across different plant species, with a focus on Cucurbitaceae.

Main Results:

  • Identification of at least three types of sieve element-companion cell complexes in minor leaf veins.
  • Evidence of multiple, co-existing loading strategies within the same plant vein.
  • Demonstration of phloem heterogeneity in transport tissues across various species, notably in Cucurbitaceae.

Conclusions:

  • The phloem exhibits significant heterogeneity at the cellular and functional levels.
  • Flowering plants likely employ diverse phloem loading strategies.
  • Further research is needed to uncover the specialized functions within this complex transport system.