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Glite Dictionary
tracheid

tracheid

1 9.9
A long thin cell in plants that carries water and helps support them
  • noun
  • /ˈtreɪkiˌɪd/
  • Specialized
: traqueida
  • Unlike vessel elements, tracheid cells are long and tapering, allowing them to contribute to both support and water transport.

Examples

  • Water moves upward through tracheids by capillary action and adhesion to cell walls.

  • A tracheid is essential for water transport.

  • The pine tree's xylem consists primarily of tracheids rather than vessel elements.

  • Many gymnosperms have tracheids instead of vessels.

  • The tracheids in the conifer's wood help it transport water efficiently.

  • As the tree matured, the tracheids became essential for its structural support.

  • Researchers studied the tracheids to understand how water moves through the plant.

Surface Forms

tracheid singular
tracheids plural

Morphology

tracheid = trachea (semi-transparent) = trache + id

Formed from 'trachea' (tube) + the suffix '-id' meaning 'resembling' or 'related to'; this yields a 'tube-like' sense that helps infer general shape but not the specialised botanical function.

Etymology

Tracheid comes from the Greek root trachea meaning 'windpipe' or 'tube' and the ending -id meaning 'like'. So a tracheid is a 'tube-like' plant cell that carries water and helps give the plant support.