Final answer:
Water primarily moves into the plant against gravity due to osmosis, aided by transpiration, cohesion, and adhesion, with water entering through root hairs and exiting through stomata.
Step-by-step explanation:
Water moves against the force of gravity into the plant predominantly due to osmosis. Osmosis is the process where water moves from an area of high water potential to an area of low water potential across a semipermeable membrane. In plants, this results in water moving into root hairs where the water potential is lower compared to the soil. Additionally, the combined effects of transpiration, cohesion, and adhesion facilitate the movement of water through the xylem up to the rest of the plant, also fighting against gravity. Transpiration creates a negative water potential in the leaves, leading to a continuous pull of water upwards. Cohesion helps water molecules stick together, while adhesion allows them to stick to the walls of the xylem vessels, facilitating their rise. The water potential decreases from the roots to the top of the plant, contributing to this upward movement, with water entering the plant through the root hairs and exiting primarily through stomata in the leaves.