MICROANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Plasmodesmata are cylindrical cytoplasmic channels 30 to 60 nm in diameter extending between the adjacent cells directly through the intervening plant cell wall. They are sites of intercellular communication uniting the cells of plant tissue into a metabolic unit.

Detailed explanation-2: -plasmodesma: A microscopic channel traversing the cell walls of plant cells and some algal cells, enabling transport and communication between them.

Detailed explanation-3: -Similar to the gap junctions found in animal cells, the plasmodesmata, which penetrate both the primary and secondary cell walls (see Figure 1), allow certain molecules to pass directly from one cell to another and are important in cellular communication.

Detailed explanation-4: -Smaller molecules (e.g. sugars and amino acids) and ions can easily pass through plasmodesmata by diffusion without the need for additional chemical energy. Larger molecules, including proteins (for example green fluorescent protein) and RNA, can also pass through the cytoplasmic sleeve diffusively.