Written by Merel Dagher (PEACE Advisor)
Plasmodesmata in plants are most similar to gap junctions in animals. Why?
a. Plasmodesmata and gap junctions both allow for water molecules and other small solutes to pass between cells.
a. Plasmodesmata and gap junctions both allow for water molecules and other small solutes to pass between cells.
b. Plasmodesmata and gap junctions both create a barrier between two sides of the same cell, which allows only certain molecules to pass between the cells.
c. Plasmodesmata and gap junctions both prevent leakage between cells, and they function to “seal” cells together.
d. Plasmodesmata and gap junctions allow proteins to leave the cell, thus allowing the cell to communicate to its external environment.
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The correct answer is a. Plasmodesmata are channels in plant cell walls that allow for water and small solutes to pass from cell to cell. Gap junctions consist of 6 connexons that allow for the same process in animal cells. Tight junctions prevent leakage between cells. Combined with adherens junctions, they create a difference in membranes because they are semipermeable, only allowing some molecules to pass between the cells. Protein channels are responsible proteins to enter and leave the cell.