Question

Phloem cells are __________. a. dead at maturity and are used to transport water from the roots to the rest of the plant b. dead at maturity and are used to transport sugars throughout the plant c. alive at maturity and are used to transport water from the roots to the rest of the plant d. alive at maturity and are used to transport sugars throughout the plant

Answer 1

Answer: b. dead at maturity and are used to transport sugars throughout the  plant.

Phloem cells are the cells which transport the product of photosynthesis that is food from the leaves to other parts of the plant. A typical phloem consist of sieve cells, phloem fibers, and phloem parenchyma.  Sieve cells are elongated and they have minute pores which facilitates the transport of food through these pores. The phloem fibers provides mechanical support to the phloem. Phloem parenchyma cells are responsible for the storage of food. The process by which phloem transport food is called as translocation. Sieve cells are the main type of cells helps in food translocation, in maturity these cells looses their nucleus and ribosomes therefore, they die in maturity.