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Biology vocabulary · Plant Biology

Phloem

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ˈfloʊem/nounCommon term

In biology, phloem means: The plant tissue that carries sugars and other products of photosynthesis from the leaves to other parts of the plant, such as roots, fruits and growing tips.

In Turkish: floem, soymuk borusu

How it is used

Made of living sieve tube elements and companion cells. Transport in the phloem is called translocation and can move both up and down the plant. Pronounced FLOH-em (/ˈfloʊem/): the 'oe' is two separate sounds.

Example sentences

  1. Aphids feed by pushing their mouthparts into the phloem.

  2. Removing a ring of bark cuts the phloem and stops sugars from reaching the roots.

Common collocations

  • phloem sap
  • sieve tube
  • companion cell
  • transport in the phloem
  • xylemThe plant tissue that carries water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots to the stems and leaves. Its cells are dead when mature and form hollow tubes.
  • photosynthesisThe process in which plants, algae and some bacteria use light energy to make glucose from carbon dioxide and water, releasing oxygen as a by-product.
  • carbohydrateAn organic molecule made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, such as a sugar, starch or cellulose. Carbohydrates store energy and build structures like plant cell walls.
  • tissueA group of similar cells that work together to do a particular job. Organs are made of several different types of tissue.

More terms: Plant Biology

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