Why Do Trees have Sap?
If both humans and animals need blood to survive, for trees and plants they have what we call as the ‘sap’. There are 3 kinds of sap namely: cell sap, phloem sap and xylem sap. A cell sap is composed of water. This type of sap is usually lost during the process of photosynthesis. Xylem sap contains mainly of water, nutrients, hormones and minerals while Phloem sap contains sugar aside from water and other nutrients and minerals.
Examples of plants with sap are sugarcane, rubber tree and maple tree. The sap of a rubber tree is used for making various rubber products and latex. The sap of a maple tree is used to make maple syrup. Sugarcane also produces sap which is used for making sugar and vinegar.
Sap is very important to a tree because it acts as the tree’s life-blood. Compare it to humans and animals it is the blood that is flowing through our veins. It is the one responsible for carrying the food and sugar including various nutrients and minerals along with water all throughout the tree from the leaves up to its roots.
Sap also plays a vital role in protecting the trees from freezing during cold weather conditions especially those perennial plants which are located in places with cold climate. It is what keeps them alive during the winter season.
Although it is the leaves which mainly keeps the tree alive, the sugar which is produced during photosynthesis is carried along by the sap into all parts of the tree. Without the sap, it is difficult to disseminate the food especially for big trees. While from the roots, water along with other minerals and nutrients are carried on to the leaves by the sap. Just like how blood circulates our body, sap also circulates inside the tree in order to distribute the food, water and minerals needed by the tree to survive.
In conclusion, sap serves as the tree’s blood which is very vital to its existence because it is the one which carries all the nutrients and water throughout the whole tree. Without it, the tree cannot survive.
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