Transport In Plants

Question 1

What is the plasmodesmata?

Answer 1

The gap in between the two cell walls of a plant which merge the cytoplasms together.

Question 2

How many pathways can water travel through the cell?

Answer 2

3 pathways:
Apoplast pathway: through cell wall via tension
Sympast pathway: through the cytoplasm (diffusion) and the plasmodesmata (osmosis)
Vacular pathway: through the plant vacuole membrane

Question 3

How does water travel through the endodermal part of the cell?

Answer 3

Endodermal cells contain the casparian strip which is made of waxy suberin (waterproof).

This forces the water to move into the symplast pathway across the plasma membrane which filters out toxins

Question 4

What is the order in which the substances in the endodermal cells get moved into the xylem?

Answer 4

Mineral ions enter the xylem first via active transport to lower the water potential for osmosis