Question

Why is long-distance transport important for vascular plants?

Short answer

The long-distance transport in the vascular plant is critical because these plants have an elongated upright structure, and every section requires adequate water and nutrients.

The long-distance transport allows transport of absorbed nutrients and water upward to all plant parts and transport of prepared food to different plant parts.

Step-by-step solution

Importance of nutrients and water

The growth of every organism, including the eukaryotic plants, requires water and nutrients. In the case of land plants, these nutrients and water molecules are obtained from the soil.

Some nutrients are required in small quantities (micronutrients) like iron, while some are abundantly required (macronutrients) like nitrogen.

Vascular tissues

The body of some plant groups comprises specialized tissues that facilitate the absorption of different nutrients and molecules of water from layers of soil; these tissues are denoted as vascular tissues or conducting tissues. The plant group which contains these tissues are referred to as vascular plants.

Importance of vascular transport

The body structure of vascular plants is upright and vast, and for proper functioning and survival, each cell requires an adequate supply of water, food, and other nutrients. The food is prepared at the photosynthetic leaf regions, and the absorption of nutrients with water occurs at the root.

The food from the leaf is transported all across the plant, including the lowermost root regions. The water, along with nutrients, is transported in an anti-gravity direction to the upper region of plants.

The vascular tissues facilitate the long-distance transportation of all these molecules to different plant parts and maintain the plant’s growth and other physiological activities.