Types of Movement of Water into the Root Cells

Types of Movement of Water into the Root Cells

Once water is absorbed by the root hairs, it can move deeper into root layers by two distinct pathways:

·                 Apoplast pathway

·                 Symplast pathway

1. Apoplast Pathway

The apoplastic movement of water occurs exclusively through the intercellular spaces and the walls of the cells. Apoplastic movement does not involve crossing the cell membrane. This movement is dependent on the gradient.

2. Symplast Pathway

In symplastic movement, the water travels through the cells i.e. their cytoplasm; intercellular movement is through the plasmodesmata. Water enter the cells through the cell membrane, hence the movement is relatively slower. Movement is again down a potential gradient.