Question

Define the terms

Apoplast and symplast pathway

Answer 1

Apoplast pathway:

1. The apoplast is the space that is present outside the plasma membrane within which material can disperse freely.
2. The apoplastic pathway involves the transportation of water from root hair to xylem through the cell wall of intervening cells.
3. A major quantity of water in the root cortex moves by apoplast.

Symplast pathway:

1. Symplast is the inner side of the plasma membrane in which water and low molecular molecules can move freely.
2. It consists of a cytoplasmic network of every plant cell interconnected by plasmodesmata.
3. The Symplast pathway is the pathway of ions and water created by the symplast.
4. In this, water moves between cytoplasm, and vacuoles of adjacent cells.