What is the Difference Between Apoplast and Symplast?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Apoplast and symplast are two separate pathways in plants that initiate the passage of water and ions from root hair to the root cortex and then to the xylem elements. The main differences between apoplast and symplast are:
- Parts: Apoplast consists of intercellular spaces and cell walls, while symplast consists of protoplasm, including the cytoplasm of cells interconnected with plasmodesmata.
- Living and Nonliving parts: Apoplast is made up of non-living parts, such as cell walls and intercellular spaces, while symplast is made up of living parts, such as cell cytoplasm and plasmodesmata.
- Movement of water: In the apoplast pathway, water moves by diffusion through the cell walls and intercellular spaces. In the symplast pathway, water moves by osmosis within the cytoplasm of cells and through plasmodesmata.
- Resistance to water movement: There is less resistance to the movement of water in the apoplast, while there is more resistance in the symplast.
- Flow of water: Water flow is fast in the apoplast, while it is slower in the symplast.
In summary, the apoplast pathway involves water movement through non-living parts, such as cell walls and intercellular spaces, while the symplast pathway involves water movement through living parts, such as cell cytoplasm and plasmodesmata. The apoplast pathway is faster and has less resistance than the symplast pathway.
Comparative Table: Apoplast vs Symplast
Here is a table highlighting the differences between the apoplast and symplast pathways in plants:
Criteria | Apoplast | Symplast |
---|---|---|
Parts | Consists of intercellular spaces and cell walls. | Consists of protoplasm, including plasmodesmata connections and cytoplasmic streaming. |
Living and Nonliving parts | Comprises non-living parts of the plant. | Comprises living parts of the plant. |
Movement of Water | Water movement is through intercellular spaces. | Water movement is through plasmodesmatal connections and cytoplasmic streaming. |
Diffusion or Osmosis | Water movement is through diffusion. | Water movement is through osmosis. |
Passive or Active Transport | Passive transport of water. | Active transport of water, requires energy. |
The apoplast pathway involves the transport of water through intercellular spaces and cell walls, while the symplast pathway involves the transport of water through plasmodesmata connections and cytoplasmic streaming within the plant's protoplasm. The apoplast is composed of non-living parts of the plant, such as cell walls and intracellular spaces, whereas the symplast is composed of living parts of the plant, including protoplasm and plasmodesmata connections.
- Symplast vs Vacuolar Pathway
- Protoplast vs Protoplasm
- Aleuroplasts vs Elaioplasts
- Plasmolysis vs Deplasmolysis
- Phragmoplast vs Cell Plate
- Plasmolysis vs Cytolysis
- Cytoplasm vs Protoplasm
- Tonoplast vs Plasma Membrane
- Leucoplast Chloroplast vs Chromoplast
- Collenchyma vs Sclerenchyma
- Protoplasts vs Spheroplasts
- Mitochondria vs Plastids
- Collenchyma vs Chlorenchyma
- Parenchyma vs Sclerenchyma
- Chlorophyll vs Chloroplast
- Cell Membrane vs Cytoplasm
- Symphyta vs Apocrita
- Osmosis vs Plasmolysis
- Cytoplasm vs Cytosol