Question

Path of water movement from soil to xylem is
A. Metaxylem$\to$Protoxylem$ \to $Cortex$ \to $Soil$ \to $Root hair
B. Cortex$ \to $Root hair$ \to $Endodermis$ \to $Pericycles$ \to $Protoxylem$ \to $Metaxylem
C. Soil$ \to $Root hair$ \to $Cortex$ \to $Endodermis$ \to $Pericycle$ \to $Protoxylem$ \to $Metaxylem
D. Pericycle$ \to $Soil$ \to $Root hair$ \to $Cortex$ \to $Endodermis$ \to $Protoxylem$ \to $Metaxylem

Answer 1

Hint: Water is present in the soil to be absorbed by the plants. The structures of the plant that absorbs water from the soil are root hairs that are extensions of the root epidermis.

Complete answer:
Plants absorb water that is present in the soil through root hairs. Root hairs are extensions of the epidermis of the root that helps in increasing the surface area to volume ratio thereby increasing the absorption of water from the soil. The internal structure of the root is composed of epidermis, cortex, endodermis, pericycle, and vascular tissues. Thus, the water absorbed through root hairs enters into the root that moves horizontally through the cortex, endodermis, and pericycle before reaching the xylem. Therefore, the correct path of movement of water from the soil to the xylem is:
Soil$ \to $root hair$ \to $cortex$ \to $endodermis$ \to $pericycle$ \to $protoxylem$ \to $metaxylem.
Option (A) is incorrect. Water first enters from the soil through root hairs into the cortex of the root but not the metaxylem.
Option (B) is incorrect. Water moves horizontally inside the root after getting absorbed by root hairs from the soil. To move into the cortex, firstly, the water must have to be absorbed by root hairs.
Option (C) is correct. This option represents the correct path of water movement from soil to xylem i.e., water is first absorbed from the soil by root hairs which then enters horizontally into the cortex, endodermis, pericycle, protoxylem, and metaxylem.
Option (D) is incorrect. Pericycle in roots is located after the endodermis which is situated below the cortex and epidermis. Thus, water does not initially enter into the pericycle of the but it is initially absorbed by the root hairs from the soil.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note: Water can reach the xylem from the soil through two pathways i.e., either intracellular or extracellular route. Through the intracellular route, water travels inside the cortical cells of roots through plasmodesmata connections, while through the extracellular route, the water does not travel inside the cell but it moves along the outside walls from one cell to another.