What is the Difference Between Symplast and Vacuolar Pathway?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The symplast and vacuolar pathways are two different ways in which water moves within plant cells. The main differences between these two pathways are:
- Route of water movement: In the symplast pathway, water moves from the cytoplasm of one cell to the cytoplasm of a neighboring cell through plasmodesmata, without entering vacuoles. In contrast, the vacuolar pathway involves the movement of water between vacuoles of neighboring plant cells.
- Resistance: The symplast pathway has less resistance compared to the vacuolar pathway, as water does not need to pass through vacuoles.
- Vacuole involvement: The key difference between the two pathways is that water does not enter into vacuoles in the symplast pathway, while it does in the vacuolar pathway.
- Frequency of use: Plant cells tend to use the symplast pathway more frequently than the vacuolar pathway.
In summary, the symplast pathway is characterized by water movement between the cytoplasms of plant cells without entering vacuoles, while the vacuolar pathway involves water movement between vacuoles of neighboring cells.
Comparative Table: Symplast vs Vacuolar Pathway
This table compares the differences between the symplast and vacuolar pathways in plant cells:
Feature | Symplast Pathway | Vacuolar Pathway |
---|---|---|
Definition | Water moves through the cytoplasm of one cell to the cytoplasm of the next cell through plasmodesmata. | Water moves through the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and then through the vacuole. |
Water Movement | Water does not enter into vacuoles in the symplast pathway. | Water moves through the vacuoles of plant cells through osmosis. |
Resistance | Offers resistance to the flow of water since the selective plasma membrane of the root. | Facilitated by two proton pumps (ATPase and PPase) that energize the solute, and specialized transport proteins called aquaporins. |
Metabolic States | The symplastic pathway is affected by the metabolic states of the root. | The vacuolar pathway is less affected by the metabolic states of the root. |
Location | Occurs beyond the endodermis in plants. | Mainly restricted to water molecule movement. |
Both the symplast and vacuolar pathways are essential for water movement in plant cells, but they differ in their mechanisms and locations within the cell. The symplast pathway involves water moving between the cytoplasms of cells through plasmodesmata, while the vacuolar pathway involves water moving through the vacuoles of plant cells through osmosis.
- Apoplast vs Symplast
- Lysosome vs Vacuole
- Vacuoles vs Vesicles
- Plant vs Animal Vacuoles
- Cytosolic vs Chloroplastic Glycolysis
- Endosome vs Lysosome
- Mitochondria vs Plastids
- Cell Membrane vs Cytoplasm
- Protoplast vs Protoplasm
- Cytoplasm vs Protoplasm
- Cytoplasm vs Cytosol
- Chemiosmosis in Mitochondria vs Chloroplast
- Mitochondria vs Chloroplast
- Thylakoid vs Stroma
- Chlorophyll vs Chloroplast
- Biosynthetic vs Degradative Pathways
- Food Vacuole vs Contractile Vacuole
- Endocytosis vs Transcytosis
- Endocytosis vs Exocytosis