Question

There are two different analogies to describe how fluid is transported through a plant; that of the drinking straw (negative pressure) and that of the hose (positive pressure). Which of the following properly links the type of vascular tissue with its corresponding analogy?

Answer 1

The xylem and phloem are vascular tissues in plants; xylem operates like a drinking straw, creating negative pressure to move water, and phloem works like a hose, using positive pressure to transport sugars.

Step-by-step explanation:

The vascular tissues in plants consist of xylem and phloem, each responsible for transporting fluids within the plant. The xylem can be likened to a drinking straw because it transports water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant through a process known as transpiration, which creates a negative pressure. This is akin to the tension in a straw when you drink a liquid. On the other hand, the phloem operates more like a hose, moving sugars, produced during photosynthesis, from the leaves to other parts of the plant using a positive pressure generated by osmotic pressure differences. This is due to the phloem loading sugars and creating a high osmotic pressure, which draws in water and causes the positive pressure that drives the fluids throughout the plant.