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Biology Quiz - Unit 3 - Xylem and Phloem (Questions)

All multicellular organisms require systems to transport fluids around their bodies. In plants, xylem and phloem tissue carry out this job and in this GCSE Biology quiz we take a closer look at these two similar yet different tissues.

Xylem and phloem both transport fluids in plants so what are the differences between them? Well, xylem is dead, woody tissue consisting of tubes and vessels which transport fluid (water containing minerals) from the roots of a plant, up through the stem and into its leaves. Phloem moves dissolved sugars from the leaves to the rest of the plant, including the growing regions and the storage tissues. The cells of the phloem are still living.

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Water is absorbed from the soil by the root hair cells (which also obtain essential mineral ions) by active transport. The solution passes into the xylem of the plant and is carried to the leaves where the plant cells use the nutrients to make sugars and amino acids. The tubes in the xylem are made from elongated cells that are arranged end to end. The cell walls contain the substance lignin which gives strength to the xylem tubes, supporting the plant. The xylem cells are alive at first but as the plant grows, they die. The cytoplasm and cell walls between adjoining cells break down and the result is a dead, empty continuous tube, one cell in diameter that is impermeable to water. Movement of the water and minerals through the xylem tissue is caused by transpiration from the leaves of the plant.

The water and minerals that reach living plant cells are used for photosynthesis, producing food for the plant in the form of sugars. Plants also produce amino acids from nitrate and other ions. Both the sugars and the amino acids are required for cell growth and repair. These substances are carried to growing tissues and storage tissues by the phloem. This movement of fluid through plants is called translocation. The elongated cells that form the tubes of the phloem are alive. The cells are joined end to end and the cell walls between them develop holes that allow liquids to pass through.

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1. Transpiration involves the movement of...
[ ] oxygen
[ ] ions
[ ] sugar
[ ] water
2. Name the special tissue which transports water and mineral ions.
[ ] Phloem
[ ] Storage
[ ] Xylem
[ ] Cardiac
3. Which specialised plant tissue transports dissolved sugars?
[ ] Xylem
[ ] Phloem
[ ] Leaves
[ ] Roots
4. Water leaves the plant leaves through...
[ ] stromata
[ ] stomata
[ ] tomato
[ ] sonata
5. This plant tissue is woody and dead.
[ ] Phloem
[ ] Mesophyll
[ ] Xylem
[ ] Storage
6. Xylem is found in the...
[ ] roots only
[ ] roots and stem
[ ] roots, stem and leaves
[ ] flowers
7. Name the process by which mineral ions move from the soil into the root.
[ ] Osmosis
[ ] Active transport
[ ] Hydrofoil
[ ] Diffusion
8. Can Xylem vessels be blocked by air bubbles?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] In some plants but not in most
[ ] In most plants but not in some
9. Do plants need living phloem in order to transport sugars?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Some plants do but most don't
[ ] Most plants do but some don't
10. If we use a poison which inhibits respiration, which of the following processes is not blocked?
[ ] Movement of sugars
[ ] Active transport
[ ] Synthesis of sugars
[ ] Movement of mineral ions and water

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Transport systems plants

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Biology Quiz - Unit 3 - Xylem and Phloem (Answers)
1. Transpiration involves the movement of...
[ ] oxygen
[ ] ions
[ ] sugar
[x] water
The water contains dissolved ions from the soil
2. Name the special tissue which transports water and mineral ions.
[ ] Phloem
[ ] Storage
[x] Xylem
[ ] Cardiac
Cells in the xylem tissue are dead
3. Which specialised plant tissue transports dissolved sugars?
[ ] Xylem
[x] Phloem
[ ] Leaves
[ ] Roots
Leaves and roots are plant organs - not tissues
4. Water leaves the plant leaves through...
[ ] stromata
[x] stomata
[ ] tomato
[ ] sonata
Stomata are the tiny holes found on the underside of leaves and they let the water vapour out of the plant
5. This plant tissue is woody and dead.
[ ] Phloem
[ ] Mesophyll
[x] Xylem
[ ] Storage
The xylem was made from living cells which laid down strong woody substances in the cell walls and became the tubes and vessels
6. Xylem is found in the...
[ ] roots only
[ ] roots and stem
[x] roots, stem and leaves
[ ] flowers
Water and minerals from the soil are transported from the roots to the leves where they are used in photosynthesis and the synthesis of amino acids
7. Name the process by which mineral ions move from the soil into the root.
[ ] Osmosis
[x] Active transport
[ ] Hydrofoil
[ ] Diffusion
The concentration of minerals in the water of the soil is very low and is higher in the root hair cells. Uptake of mineral ions therefore takes place against a concentration gradient, so it must be active transport
8. Can Xylem vessels be blocked by air bubbles?
[x] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] In some plants but not in most
[ ] In most plants but not in some
They are extremely tiny and so the forces of surface tension are high enough to 'glue' the air bubble to the walls of the xylem vessels, blocking the transpiration stream
9. Do plants need living phloem in order to transport sugars?
[x] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Some plants do but most don't
[ ] Most plants do but some don't
Phloem cells are essential to the process of translocation - the movement of food and amino acids through the plant
10. If we use a poison which inhibits respiration, which of the following processes is not blocked?
[ ] Movement of sugars
[ ] Active transport
[ ] Synthesis of sugars
[x] Movement of mineral ions and water
Xylem is dead tissue, so respiration is not taking place in the xylem. It can continue to function