(N/A) Cells swell in hypotonic solutions and shrink in hypertonic solutions. In a hypotonic solution,water enters the cell due to osmosis,causing it to swell. In a hypertonic solution,water leaves the cell,causing it to shrink.
$(b)$ Imbibition is a special type of diffusion where water is absorbed by solids—specifically colloids—causing them to increase in volume. The statement is correct as it describes the physical process of water uptake by substances like seeds or dry wood.
$(c)$ Most of the water flow in the roots occurs via the apoplast pathway. The apoplast is the system of adjacent cell walls that is continuous throughout the plant,except at the casparian strips of the endodermis in the roots.