Plant tissue that transports water and dissolved minerals from roots to leaves. Composed of hollow, dead cells that form continuous tubes, xylem also provides structural support to the plant.
From Greek 'xylon' meaning wood, coined by German botanist Carl Nägeli in 1858. The name reflects that xylem forms the woody tissue in trees and provides structural strength.
Xylem is like a plant's plumbing system made of dead cells - these hollow tubes are so efficient at moving water that they can transport it from roots to the top of a 300-foot redwood tree using nothing but evaporation and molecular attraction!
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