Xylem is the part of a plant that conveys water from the roots to the leaves and stems, transporting various nutrients along with it.
Xylem is composed of hollow, tube-like tissue, almost like tiny pipes that carry water and minerals to every part of a plant. Together with phloem, which transports the sugar made during photosynthesis, xylem helps keep plants healthy and growing. In woody plants, including trees, the xylem tissue dies off as the plant grows, becoming the "wood" of its trunk or stem. The word xlyem, originally coined in German, comes from the Greek xylon, "wood."