Meaning & use

phloem

noun·Academic

The plant tissue that transports sugars and nutrients from leaves to other parts of the plant.

See it in a sentence

Sugars produced by photosynthesis travel through the phloem to the plant's roots.

Cutting through the phloem can prevent nutrients from reaching the branches above.

A note on using this word

Phloem works alongside xylem, which instead carries water and minerals upward from the roots.

Words with a similar meaning

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