Casparian Strip

- Casparian strips are waterproof bands which run around the cell wall of endodermal
cells in plant roots.
- Their purpose is to force water which has been following the apoplastic pathway, into
the living protoplast of the endodermal cell.
- Mineral ions in the water are actively transported into the xylem, meaning the xylem
now has a lower water potential than the endodermal cell, causing the water to move
into the xylem through osmosis

Translocation
-The movement of assimilates (sugars and other chemicals made by plant cells) is
called translocation. Sugars are transported in the phloem in the form of sucrose. A
part of the plant that releases sucrose into the phloem is called a source. A part of the
plant that removes sucrose from the phloem is called a sink.
- Sucrose is actively loaded into the phloem. ATP is used by companion cells.
- At the source, sucrose entering the sieve tube element reduces the water potential
inside the sieve tube. As a result, water molecules move into the sieve tube element
by osmosis from surrounding tissues.. This increases the hydrostatic pressure in the
sieve tube at the source.
-Sucrose is used in the cells surrounding the phloem. The sucrose may be converted
to starch for storage, or may be used in a metabolic process such as respiration. This
reduces the sucrose concentration in these cells. Sucrose molecules move by diffusion
or active transport from the sieve tube element into the surrounding cells. This
increases the water potential in the sieve tube element, so water molecules move into
the surrounding cells by osmosis. This reduces the hydrostatic pressure in the phloem
in the sink.