How do plants absorb water ?

Explanation

Importance of roots in absorption : Roots absorb most of the water that goes into plants. The responsibility of absorption of water and minerals is more specifically the function of the root hairs. Roots hairs are present at the tips of the roots.
Root hairs are thin walled slender extensions of root epidermal cells that greatly increase the surface area for absorption.
Water is absorbed along with mineral solutes, by the root hairs, purely by diffusion.
Once water is absorbed by the root hairs, it can move deeper into root layers by two distinct pathways:
(1) Apoplast Pathway
(2) Symplast Pathway

Apoplast Pathway: The apoplast is the system of adjacent cell walls that is continuous throughout the plant.
Except at the casparian strips of the endodermis in the roots.
The apoplastic movement of water occurs exclusively through the intercellular spaces and the walls of the cells.
Note : Movement through the apoplast does not involve crossing the cell membrane. It is dependent on the gradient.
The apoplast does not provide any barrier to the water movement and water movement is through mass flow.
As water evaporates into the intercellular spaces or the atmosphere, tension develop the continuous stream of water in the apoplast.
Hence mass flow of water occurs due to the adhesive and cohesive properties of water.
Symplast Pathway: The symplastic system is the system of interconnected protoplasts.
Neighbouring cells are connected through cytoplasmic strands that extend through plasmodesmata.
Water has to enter the cells through the cell membrane, hence the movement relatively slower.
Movement is again down a potential gradient.
Symplastic movement may be aided by cytoplasmic streaming.
e.g., In cells of the Hydrilla leaf, the movement of chloroplast due to streaming is easily visible.