Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Phloem and Sugar Transport

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.

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

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.

Short-distance Transport of Resources

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.

The Apoplast and Symplast

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...

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.

Plant Tissues

Plant Tissues

Plants are multicellular eukaryotes with tissue systems made of various cell types that carry out specific functions. Different tissues work together to perform a unique function and form an organ. Organs working together form organ systems. Vascular plants have two distinct organ systems: a shoot system and a root system. The shoot system consists of two portions: the vegetative (non-reproductive) parts of the plant, such as the leaves and the stems, and the reproductive parts of the plant,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants.

The New phytologist·2024

Same author

The enduring mystery of differences between eddy covariance and biometric measurements for ecosystem respiration and net carbon storage in forests.

The New phytologist·2023

Same author

No carbon storage in growth-limited trees in a semi-arid woodland.

Nature communications·2023

Same author

Oral famotidine versus placebo in non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, data-intense, phase 2 clinical trial.

Gut·2022

Same author

Dark respiration rates are not determined by differences in mitochondrial capacity, abundance and ultrastructure in C<sub>4</sub> leaves.

Plant, cell & environment·2022

Same author

The crucial roles of mitochondria in supporting C<sub>4</sub> photosynthesis.

The New phytologist·2021

Same journal

Drought-induced carbon reallocation in European beech: linking non-structural carbohydrates, xylem anatomy, and water use efficiency.

Tree physiology·2026

Same journal

PyWRKY48 directly activates PyMTP10 to confer cadmium tolerance and accumulation in poplar.

Tree physiology·2026

Same journal

Effects of fertilization on drought responses in saplings of three European trees species.

Tree physiology·2026

Same journal

Good neighbours: current-year needles in Nordmann fir rely on their one-year-old neighbouring needles for adequate nutrient supply.

Tree physiology·2026

Same journal

Foliar structural and physiological responses of young Picea abies trees to elevated environmental humidity.

Tree physiology·2026

Same journal

A multi-tissue single-cell atlas of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) reveals cellular heterogeneity and lineage trajectories.

Tree physiology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 3, 2026

Technique for Studying Arthropod and Microbial Communities within Tree Tissues

Technique for Studying Arthropod and Microbial Communities within Tree Tissues

Published on: November 16, 2014

Phloem transport in trees

Michael G Ryan¹, Shinichi Asao

¹Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 89523, USA.

Tree Physiology

|January 28, 2014

Summary

No abstract available in PubMed .

More Related Videos

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

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

Published on: October 23, 2013

Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants

Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants

Published on: June 2, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 3, 2026

Technique for Studying Arthropod and Microbial Communities within Tree Tissues

Technique for Studying Arthropod and Microbial Communities within Tree Tissues

Published on: November 16, 2014

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

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

Published on: October 23, 2013

Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants

Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants

Published on: June 2, 2023