How are xylem vessels adapted for their function

- they are very long, tube like structures formed from cells joined end to end - there are no end walls on these cells, making an uninterrupted tube that allows water to pass through the middle easily - the cells are dead, so they contain no cytoplasm - their walls are thickened by lignin, which helps with support and stops them from collapsing inwards - water and ions move in and out of the vessels through pits in the walls