Every living organism in the world needs food, water, nutrients and minerals to survive. Similarly, plants also need food, water and nutrients to survive.
A type of tissue present in plants responsible for the conduction of food and water is Xylem. Xylem tissues transport minerals and water to all parts of the plant with the help of tracheary elements.
Vessel Elements vs Tracheids
The difference between tracheary elements vessels and tracheids is in the structure of the two. In vessels, there is a perforation present at the endplates which gives it a tube-like elongated structure while in tracheids there is no perforation due to the absence of the endplate, and vessels are made from a group of cells while tracheids are made from a single individual cell.
Vessels are the tissues present in angiosperms for the conduction of minerals and water. These are the tubular dead cells with thick walls. Vessels are highly developed tissues.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Vessel Elements | Tracheids |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Vessels have a tube-like structure, having a perforation present at the endplates that are either diagonal or transverse. | Tracheids also have a tube-like elongated structure but without perforation and tapering end walls. |
| Origin | Vessels are a bundle of cells that is, they originate with a bunch of cells packed together but the individual cells of vessels are smaller than that of tracheids. | Tracheids originate from a single individual cell. |
| Presence | Vessels are present in angiosperms only. | Tracheids are present in almost all the vascular plants such as Gymnosperms, Angiosperms and Pteridophytes. |
| Cell perforation | Vessels have a cell perforation present at the endplates. | There is no cell perforation present in tracheids. |
What are the Vessel Elements?
Vessel elements form the building block for the transportation of water in the plants. Vessels are a bundle of longitudinal cells packed together to form a tubular structure.
Vessels are present only in angiosperms, that is, in flowering plants. Vessels also provide strength to the plants. Vessels are broader and have thick walls.
The cross-section in vessels is circular. They have a large number of small pits in them which are circular in shape. However, they have a low surface to volume ratio.
The presence of vessels is important for flowering plants and it is said that it is a key innovation. The functions and features of vessels make them advanced tissue.
What are Tracheids?
Vascular plants contain elongated cells to serve in the transportation of water and minerals, these cells are known as Tracheids. They also provide support to the plants, especially to the softwoods.
All vascular plants such as angiosperms, gymnosperms and ferns contain tracheids. Tracheids don’t have perforation so they are not as efficient as vessels in transportation.
The cross-section in tracheids is polygonal. They have a small number of large pits. They also have a high surface to volume ratio; therefore, they tend to hold water against gravity during the absence of transpiration.
Tracheids are the primitive cells, they are not as advanced as vessels. They do the same work as vessels but less efficiently.
Main Differences Between Vessel Elements and Tracheids
- Vessels have a low surface to volume ratio while tracheids have a high surface to volume ratio.
- Vessels are known as advanced cells while tracheids are known as primitive cells.
References
- https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3732/ajb.89.2.185
- https://scholarship.claremont.edu/aliso/vol11/iss1/5/
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