Long-distance solute transport in trees improved by intercellular pathways in living woody tissues

Friday, December 7, 2012 - 21:00 in Biology & Nature

As large organisms, trees face some remarkable challenges, particularly regarding long-distance transport and communication. In addition to moving water and nutrients from their roots to their leaves, they must also integrate cell-to-cell communication over large areas. Furthermore, to function as a single, cohesive organism, they must be able to effectively and efficiently send vital substances long distances along a network of cells, sieve-tubes, and vessels. But how effective is this cell-to-cell communication and how far can such solutes travel?

Read the whole article on Science Daily

More from Science Daily

Latest Science Newsletter

Get the latest and most popular science news articles of the week in your Inbox! It's free!

Check out our next project, Biology.Net