The tissue that transports water and other water-soluble minerals is ______.

The tissue that transports water and other water-soluble minerals is ______.

• A. Cambium
• B. Phloem
• C. Parenchyma
• D. Xylem

Answer: (D)

Water movement in plants relies on xylem, a vascular tissue specialized to transport water and dissolved minerals from the roots upward to the rest of the plant. The cells in xylem are typically dead at maturity and form hollow conduits—tracheids and vessel elements—that create a continuous path for water flow. This upward pull is driven mainly by transpiration in the leaves, which generates negative pressure, with some contribution from root pressure and the cohesive properties of water helping maintain a continuous column. Phloem, in contrast, carries organic nutrients like sugars, not water and minerals. Cambium is a growth layer that produces xylem and phloem, while parenchyma is versatile living tissue involved in storage and metabolism.

Water movement in plants relies on xylem, a vascular tissue specialized to transport water and dissolved minerals from the roots upward to the rest of the plant. The cells in xylem are typically dead at maturity and form hollow conduits—tracheids and vessel elements—that create a continuous path for water flow. This upward pull is driven mainly by transpiration in the leaves, which generates negative pressure, with some contribution from root pressure and the cohesive properties of water helping maintain a continuous column. Phloem, in contrast, carries organic nutrients like sugars, not water and minerals. Cambium is a growth layer that produces xylem and phloem, while parenchyma is versatile living tissue involved in storage and metabolism.