Explain5 marksChallenge
A researcher studies water transport in maize (Zea mays) roots. A fluorescent dye applied to root hairs is observed to move through cell walls initially, but at the endodermis it shifts to the cytoplasm and then enters the xylem.
Explain:
- the two pathways of water transport from soil to xylem
- the role of the Casparian strip in switching between these pathways
- the forces that drive water movement in the xylem after it enters