The root hair pumps the water into the xylem by osmosis; the root hairs increase the surface area of water absorption. The water enters the root through the hydrophilic cell wall of the root epidermis and passes through the cortex and it reaches the stele. Water from the root hair has to be transported to the xylem tissue by two different pathways. They are the i. Symplast pathway ii Apoplast pathway. The uptake of water pushes the water up the xylem column due to the root pressure; The root pressure cannot account for the long distance transport of water; the water is then transported to the shoot tip by the bulk flow mechanism.
