| an elongated cell whose walls contain perforations (sieve pores) that are arranged in circumscribed areas (sieve plates) and that afford communication with similar adjacent cells. |
sieve cell  (sĭv) Pronunciation Key
An elongated, food-conducting cell in phloem characteristic of gymnosperms. Sieve cells have pores through which nutrients flow from cell to cell, but they have no sieve plates like the more specialized sieve-tube elements of angiosperms. Compare sieve-tube element. |