Question

What is the function of the stem in a plant?

Answer 1

Hint The connection of the roots to the leaves which helps with the transportation of the absorbed water and minerals is stem. It also helps in supporting the plant parts and keeping it upright.

Complete answer:
The stem provides a place for the plant to keep its flower and fruits and support leaves, flowers, and fruits by keeping them in light. It helps with the transportation of water from the roots to various parts of the plant and helps with the storage of nutrients. Stem helps in transporting food from the leaves to different parts of the plant and produce new living tissues. They consist of cells known as medicines that generate these new living tissues. The stem is distributed into nodes and internodes in which the nodes hold one or more leaves and buds which grow into branches and internodes distance one node from another. The stem helps with the elevation of leaves, fruits, and flowers. The system consists of two tissues which are xylem and phloem that are structurally pipe-like. The transportation of water is through the xylem by the action of transpiration pull, root pressure, and capillary action. The sieve tubes and the companion cells constitute phloem which helps in the transportation of food.

Additional information:
The shoot system comprises the stem which may vary from a few millimeters to hundreds of meters. They usually grow above the ground and some plants including potatoes grow underground. The stems can be herbaceous or woody and provide support to the plant and can be unbranched like that of a palm tree and branched like that of a magnolia tree. The branch or a flower rises from the axillary bud which is the area between the base of a leaf and the stem and consists of apical Meristem within the apical bud.

Note: Stems are of great economic importance as they provide major staple crops including potato and tarc. The major source of sugar is the sugarcane which is also a stem.