Question

A certain type of plant is damaged by cold weather. The amount of damage gets worse as the weather gets colder.

a) In a cold winter, the phylem cells are damaged. How is the role of phloem affected in this type of weather?

b) In extreme weather, the xylem cells are damaged as well. Describe how the plant is affected if the xylem is unable to function correctly?

Answer 1

a) The phloem is accountable for conducting food from the leaves to the rest parts of the plant, thus, in the absence of phloem, the plant will die.

b) Xylem tissue plays an essential role in the transportation of minerals and water from the roots to the leaves of the plant. It is this water, which is utilized in the process of photosynthesis and also plays a role in the process of transpirational pull. In case, due to the destruction of xylem tissues wilting of plants takes place as it loses turgidity and dies as water is not able to reach the leaves for the process of photosynthesis.

Answer 2

Let me try to answer the second question. How is the plant affected when the xylem cells are damaged. Well, xylem cells and tissue is responsible for taking up water from the root to the shoot system which means without water no food is produced.