Final answer:
Plants use plasmodesmata as channels to transport nutrients between adjacent cells, connecting their cytoplasm and enabling communication throughout the plant; unlike gap junctions, which serve a similar purpose in animal cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plants use plasmodesmata to transport nutrients between adjacent cells. Plasmodesmata are numerous channels that pass between the cell walls of adjacent plant cells, which connect their cytoplasm. This allows materials to be transported from cell to cell, thus facilitating communication throughout the plant. In contrast, gap junctions are found in animal cells and play a similar role to plasmodesmata, but they are not used by plants. Instead, gap junctions allow for the transport of ions, nutrients, and other substances between animal cells. It’s important to note that structurally, gap junctions and plasmodesmata differ significantly.
To clarify a common misconception, plasmodesmata are not used for attachment; they are meant for intercellular communication and transport. The assertion that plasmodesmata are essential for communication between animal cells and gap junctions are necessary for attachment of cells in plant cells is incorrect. It is, in fact, the reverse: plasmodesmata are key in plant cell communication, while gap junctions are important for animal cell communication.