Which plant tissue carries sugars throughout the plant?

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

Answer: (A)

Sugars are transported through the phloem, the vascular tissue specialized for moving organic nutrients around the plant. After leaves synthesize sugars, they’re loaded into phloem sieve tubes (with help from companion cells), creating a flow of sap that can travel in multiple directions from sources to sinks as needed. This living tissue handles the distribution of photosynthates to growing tissues, roots, and storage parts, using a pressure-flow mechanism. In contrast, xylem moves water and mineral nutrients upward from the roots and is made mostly of dead cells at maturity. The cambium is a growth layer that produces new xylem and phloem during secondary growth, not the transport pathway itself, and the cortex is ground tissue mainly for storage and support.