Phloem and Sugar Transport: The Mass Flow Theory
Phloem handles the movement of sugars and other solutes through translocation - basically the plant's food delivery service. Unlike xylem, this system moves materials from source (usually leaves) to sink (storage organs like potatoes or growing areas).
The process relies on pressure differences created by active transport. At the source, companion cells actively load sucrose into sieve tubes, lowering water potential so water rushes in by osmosis. This creates high pressure that pushes solutes along the phloem towards areas of lower pressure.
Sieve plates connect individual sieve tube elements, whilst companion cells provide the energy needed for active transport. At the sink, sugars get converted to starch for storage, maintaining a constant concentration gradient that keeps the system flowing.
Memory Hook: Think "high pressure to low pressure" - just like squeezing toothpaste from a tube, the sugars get pushed from areas of high pressure (source) to low pressure (sink).