Answer: plasmolysed.
- A plasmolysed
- B turgid
- C only flaccid
- D enlarged
Correct answer: A. plasmolysed
Explanation: Loss of water causes plasmolysis, the shrinking of the protoplast.
Water can travel through cell walls (apoplast) or cell-to-cell through the cytoplasm (symplast) - but the Casparian strip at the endodermis blocks the apoplast route entirely, forcing everything through a selectively permeable membrane (symplast) before it can enter the xylem.
Concept context
Water and mineral absorption, the ascent of sap, transpiration, and phloem transport via the pressure flow hypothesis.