Which tissue in plants transports water and minerals from roots to shoots?

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

Answer: (B)

Water and mineral transport from roots to shoots occurs through xylem. Xylem consists of long, hollow, dead cells such as vessel elements and tracheids that form continuous tubes from the roots up to the leaves. Once minerals are taken up by the roots and water enters the xylem, the movement upward is driven by transpiration at the leaves and the cohesion of water molecules, pulling water upward in a continuous column—a process known as the cohesion-tension mechanism. This transport is essentially unidirectional, moving from roots toward shoots.

In contrast, phloem carries sugars and other organic nutrients, often in multiple directions depending on source-sink dynamics, not water and minerals. Cortex is a ground-tissue region involved in storage and support, and the epidermis is the outer protective layer—neither forms the main conduit for long-distance water transport.