Sap transport proteins. Recent evidence indicates that mobile proteins and RNA are part of the plant's long-distance communication signaling system. Evidence also exists for the directed transport and sorting of macromolecules as they pass through plasmodesmata." A large number of insects of the order Hemiptera (the half-wings), feed directly on phloem sap, and make it the primary component of their diet. Phloem sap is "nutrient-rich compared with many other plant products and generally lacking in toxins and feeding deterrents, [yet] it is consumed as the dominant or sole diet by a very restricted range of animals". This apparent paradox is explained
Ascent of sap Ascent of sap The ascent of sap in the xylem tissue of plants is the upward movement of water and minerals from the root to the crown. Xylem is a complex tissue consisting of living and non-living cells. The conducting cells in xylem are typically non-living and include, in various groups of plants, vessels members and tracheids. Both of these cell types have thick, lignified secondary cell walls and are dead at maturity. Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the phenomenon, the cohesion-tension mechanism has the most evidence and support. Although cohesion-tension has received criticism, for example due