Describe the similarities and differences between the structure of the xylem and the phloem.

A structural comparison of xylem and phloem is as follows:

Explanation:

Xylem and Phloem are both tubular vascular tissues that plants use to transport water and food respectively.

Similarities between Xylem and Phloem:

In terms of composition and structure, both xylem and phloem are vascular tissues made up of cellulose and parenchymatous cells. Both xylem and phloem are tubular

Differences:

Xylem is majorly composed of dead cells, with the parenchyma being the only living part; whereas, Phloem is exclusively composed of living cells without nuclei. Xylem consists of xylem vessels, tracheids and xylem fibers. Phloem, on the other hand, has four different elements: sieve tubes, companion cells, phloem fibres, bast fibres, intermediary cells along with the phloem parenchyma.