Which vascular tissue carries water upward from the roots to the rest of a plant?

• A. Phloem
• B. Xylem
• C. Cambium
• D. Pith

Answer: (B)

Water transport in plants is carried by xylem, the tissue specialized for upward movement from roots to leaves. Xylem consists of dead, hollow cells—tracheids and vessel elements—aligned into continuous tubes with thick, lignified walls that reinforce the conduit. When leaves transpire, water is pulled upward as a column due to cohesion between water molecules and the tension created in the xylem; root pressure can contribute a bit, but the primary force is the transpiration-driven pull. Phloem, by contrast, moves sugars and other organic nutrients and can travel in multiple directions, not just upward. Cambium is a growth layer producing new xylem and phloem, while the pith is central storage tissue and not a transport conduit.