Which tissue conducts photosynthetically produced food and other compounds from the leaves to other plant parts?

• A. Pholem
• B. Xylem
• C. Cortex
• D. Epidermis

Answer: (A)

Phloem is the tissue that carries the products of photosynthesis, mainly sugars, from the leaves to the rest of the plant. These sugars are loaded into sieve-tube elements with the help of companion cells, creating sap that moves through the phloem from sources (like leaves) to sinks (growing tissues, roots, fruits). This movement, described by the pressure-flow idea, relies on osmotic pressure generated as sugars are loaded and unloaded along the way.

Xylem, by contrast, transports water and minerals from roots to shoots and is largely upward in direction; it does not move sugars. Cortex is a ground tissue used for storage and support, not the main transport route for photosynthates, and the epidermis is the outer protective layer rather than a conduit for nutrient transport.