What are the functions of xylem and phloem?

The easiest way to remember the main different between xylem and phloem, when you know one transports glucose and the other water and minerals, is that phloem (pronounced as an 'f') = food, so glucose. And xylem must transport the water!Xylem is a column of dead cells containing lignin which transport the water that plants take up in their roots all the way up to their leaves for use in photosynthesis. A continuous stream of water is formed as water has cohesive and adhesive properties, and so the transport of water through xylem does not require energy.Phloem moves glucose - produced by photosynthesis - around the plant to where it is needed, for example for growth or developing seeds. Phloem consists of living cells such as sieve tubes and companion cells. These allow substances to be transported both up and down the plant in a process called 'translocation', and this process does require energy.