He organelle that digest food molecules, kills germs, and breaks down/recycles old worn out cell parts is the

Ivan is looking at a cross section of a stem taken from a vascular plant. he sees two different types of vascular tissue: the xylem, which is closer to the center of the stem, and the phloem, located around the xylem, closer to the outside of the stem. how do these two structures work together in a living plant?