Water Transport in Plants Through Apoplast and Symplast
The two major compartments of plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals are the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids which are present outside of the plasma membrane. On the other hand, the symplast consists of the entire cytosol of all living plant cells and the plasmodesmata, the cytoplasmic channels interconnecting the cells.
Also Read: How Do Plants Absorb Water?
Apoplast and Symplast
The main difference between the Apoplast and Symplast Pathways is the water and minerals transport route. The apoplast pathway involves passive transport of water in which water rapidly flows through the apoplast of the root including the cell wall and intercellular spaces due to hydrostatic pressure. On the other hand, the symplast pathway involves active transport of water in which water initially enters the cell sap, and moves from one cell to another through protoplasm based on the osmotic gradient.
In this article, we will read about the difference between the apoplast and symplast pathway, the apoplast pathway definition and symplast pathway definition, how water is transported through the apoplast and symplast, and the similarities between the apoplast and symplast pathway.
Table of Content
- Difference between Apoplast and Symplast Pathway
- What is Apoplast?
- What is Symplast?
- Water Transport in Plants Through Apoplast and Symplast
- Similarities between Apoplast and Symplast Pathway