Definition of phloem Phloem

phlo•em

We found 5 definitions of phloem from 5 different sources.

What does phloem mean?

Noun Plural: phloems
phloem - (botany) tissue that conducts synthesized food substances (e.g., from leaves) to parts where needed; consists primarily of sieve tubes
		bast
		vascular tissue tissue that conducts water and nutrients through the plant body in higher plants
		phytology, botany the branch of biology that studies plants

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phloem (Noun)
A vascular tissue in land plants primarily responsible for the distribution of sugars and nutrients manufactured in the shoot.

phloem (n.)
That portion of fibrovascular bundles which corresponds to the inner bark; the liber tissue; -- distinguished from xylem.

In vascular plants, phloem is the living tissue made up of small tubes which carry watery sap containing sugar and other organic nutrients to all parts of the plant where the nutrients are used for growth, or stored until needed. The sugar is made by photosynthesis. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, therefore the name, that comes from the Greek word φλοιος ("phloios") for "bark".

The phloem also carries information. In some plants for example, if insects or animals are eating a leaf, other leaves become unappetizing and this helps to protect the plant from more damage.

Aphids (Greenfly) and other insects feed on from the phloem by inserting a fine tube into the plant, penetrating the tiny phloem cells deep within the plant. The very high pressure in the phloem tubes forces the phloem sap into the insect. Most of the sugar passes right through the insect, so that nearby surfaces get sticky and often become black due to the growth of algae.