Ever wonder how a plant's sugary goodness gets around? Just like how you might share candy with your friends, plants also have a cool way of sharing! Let's dive into the world of phloem and see what's happening.
Sieve Tubes - Think of these as tunnels or pipes. These tubes are made from cells that join together, with big holes (sieve plates) between them. The cool part? Most of their insides dissolve, leaving just a sugary liquid called 'phloem sap'.
Are sieve tubes still cells? 🤔 - Even though they lose a lot of their insides, they're still alive! They have membranes and use energy (ATP). But, they're often called 'sieve tube elements' instead of cells.
Companion Cells - Sieve tubes have BFFs named 'companion cells'. Sieve tubes borrow energy from them. These buddies are full of energy factories called mitochondria. They're connected by little bridges called plasmodesmata which lets ATP and sugar pass between them. And guess what? These bridges are BIGGER than others in the plant.
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Ever wonder how a plant's sugary goodness gets around? Just like how you might share candy with your friends, plants also have a cool way of sharing! Let's dive into the world of phloem and see what's happening.
Sieve Tubes - Think of these as tunnels or pipes. These tubes are made from cells that join together, with big holes (sieve plates) between them. The cool part? Most of their insides dissolve, leaving just a sugary liquid called 'phloem sap'.
Are sieve tubes still cells? 🤔 - Even though they lose a lot of their insides, they're still alive! They have membranes and use energy (ATP). But, they're often called 'sieve tube elements' instead of cells.
Companion Cells - Sieve tubes have BFFs named 'companion cells'. Sieve tubes borrow energy from them. These buddies are full of energy factories called mitochondria. They're connected by little bridges called plasmodesmata which lets ATP and sugar pass between them. And guess what? These bridges are BIGGER than others in the plant.
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Biology SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟