Question

What is the symplast pathway?

Answer 1

Symplast pathway:

1. Symplast is known to be the cytoplasmic connection and does not include intercellular spaces, cell walls etc.
2. It is the pathway in which water moves from one cell to another in between the vacuoles and cytosol crossing the plasma membrane of the cell and the plasmodesmata.
3. The movement of water is also beyond cortex in plant cells.
4. Mainly water and ions use the symplast pathway.
5. This pathway is slow as compared to apoplastic pathway due to high resistance as the plasma membrane is selectively permeable.