Question

Pick the correct option for the statements given below.
Statement 1 - Casparian strips are present on the cell walls of the cells forming the endodermis.
Statement 2 - Casparian strips obstruct continuity of apoplast pathway.

• A. Both statements are correct
• B. Both statements are incorrect.
• C. Statement 1 is correct but statement 2 is incorrect
• D. Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 is correct

Answer 1

The correct option is A Both statements are correct

Casparian strips are present radially on the cell walls of cells forming the endodermis. They are primarily composed of suberin which is impermeable to water. The water absorbed by the root hairs moves through an apoplast pathway from the root hair, cortex upto the endodermis. At the endodermis the continuity of the pathway is broken due to casparian strips that prevent the water and the solutes from entering the space between the cell membrane and the cell wall of the cells forming the endodermis. So, the correct answer is Both statements are correct.