What is the difference between apoplast and symplast pathways?

The main difference between apoplast and symplast is that apoplast is a fully permeable route in which the water movement occurs by passive diffusion whereas symplast is a selectively permeable route in which the water movement occurs by osmosis.

What are the apoplast and symplast pathways?

The apoplast pathway is where water takes a route going from cell wall to cell wall, not entering the cytoplasm at any point. The symplast pathway is where water moves between cytoplasm/vacuoles of adjacent cells.

What is symplastic pathway?

In symplastic pathway, the movement of water is in between the cytoplasm and the vacuoles through the plasma membranes and plasmodesmata and beyond the cortex of plant cells. In this symplastic pathway, water moves from one cell to another cell by osmosis viz.

Which pathway is faster apoplast and symplast?

Apoplast pathway is faster while symplast pathway is slightly slower. Metabolic state of root does not affect apoplast pathway while metabolic state of root directly affects symplast pathway.

Is apoplastic or symplastic faster?

Apoplastic pathway is fast. Symplastic pathway is slower than the apoplastic pathway. More ion and water are transported through the apoplastic pathway in the cortex. Water and ion are mainly delivered through the symplastic pathway beyond cortex.

How do apoplast and symplast pathways supplement each other?

ApoplastSymplastWith the secondary growth of the root, most of the water moves by the apoplast route. Beyond the cortex, water moves through the symplast route.

Which is the symplast pathway of water movement?

In the symplastic pathway, water moves across the symplast, which consists of the cytoplasm and plasmodesmata (minute connections between the cytoplasm of adjacent cells). The resistance to water flow is higher in the symplastic pathway, largely due to the flow restriction imposed by the plasma membrane.

What is apoplast route?

Inside a plant, the apoplast is the space outside the plasma membrane within which material can diffuse freely. The apoplastic route facilitates the transport of water and solutes across a tissue or organ. This process is known as apoplastic transport.

What is symplast route in biology?

noun, plural: symplasts. (botany) A system of interconnected protoplasts contained by plasmalemma, and linked by plasmodesmata. Supplement. In vascular plants, there are two pathways through which water and ions passes from the root hair to xylem tissues.

What is symplast pathway of water movement in root?

The symplast of a plant is the inner side of the plasma membrane in which water and low-molecular-weight solutes can freely diffuse. In particular, symplastic flow is used in the root systems to bring in nutrients from soil. It moves these solutes from epidermis cells through the cortex into the endodermis.

Why apoplast is faster than symplast?

In apoplast, the water movement is rapid. In the symplast, the water movement is slower. The metabolic rate of the cells in the root cortex does not affect the water movement. The metabolic rate of the cells in the root cortex highly affects the water movement.

Which of the following is the most acceptable theory for movement of water through plants?

The cohesion-tension hypothesis is the most widely-accepted model for movement of water in vascular plants. Cohesion-tension essentially combines the process of capillary action with transpiration, or the evaporation of water from the plant stomata.

Where are the apoplast and symplast pathways located?

The apoplast path includes the cell wall and intercellular spaces. Apoplast and symplast are two separate pathways in plants that initiate the passage of water along with ions from root hair via root cortex to xylem elements. These routes may exist either simultaneously or separately having different rates.

Where does water move in the apoplast pathway?

The Apoplast pathway is the path in which the water is moving between the intercellular spaces. The Apoplast includes the non-living spaces between cells and the cell membrane. Both pathways are involved in the movement of water across the root. Water flows via the Apoplast in the cortex.

Which is part of the symplastic pathway offers resistance to water?

The pathways of ion and water created by symplast are known as the symplastic pathway. This pathway offers resistance to the flow of water since the selective plasma membrane of the root cells handles the intake of ion and water.

Which is less affected by the metabolic state of the apoplast?

Hence, the symplastic route is utilized to deliver water and ion over the cortex. Since apoplast is made up of non-living components, the apoplastic route is least affected by the metabolic state of the root. Symplast consists of cytoplasm network of every plant cell interconnected by plasmodesmata.