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๐ฌ Think about it
Leaves make the food, but a carrot or a potato stores it far below the ground. So food must travel down too. What carries it? Let us meet the plant's second set of pipes.
How does food travel to all parts of a plant?
- Leaves are the main site for making food.
- This food is carried to all parts of the plant.
- It moves through thin tubes called the phloem.
- The food may be stored in seeds and roots.
Example:
A potato plant makes food in its leaves, and the phloem carries it down to be stored in the potato.
Xylem
Phloem
Carries water and minerals
Carries food
Moves them upward from roots
Moves food to all parts
Starts at the roots
Starts at the leaves
Important Points
- The phloem carries food from leaves to all parts.
- Food can be stored in seeds and roots.
โ Test Yourself
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What does the phloem carry?
View Answer
Food made in the leaves. -
Where is food made in a plant?
View Answer
In the leaves. -
Where can the food be stored?
View Answer
In some parts like seeds and roots. -
Which tube carries water, xylem or phloem?
View Answer
The xylem carries water; the phloem carries food. -
Does food move only upward?
View Answer
No, food moves to all parts, including down to the roots.
Important Definitions
- Phloem — the thin tube-like structure that carries food from the leaves to all parts of the plant.
