Water and mineral ions are taken up by the root hair cells.The mineral ions move across the cortex and across the endodermis into the xylem in the centre of the roots.The water travels through the cell walls and cell wall spaces (apoplast pathway) or through the cytoplasm (symplast pathway) and vacuoles from cell to cell by the plasmodesmata.When the water reaches the endodermis there is a waterproof layer of cells called the Casparian strip that has a waxy, waterproof substance called suberin in its cell walls. Water has to travel through the cytoplasm and plasmodesmata into the xylem in the centre of the root.
