Questions: If a cell is placed into a hypertonic solution, will water move into or out of the cell?
Transcript text: If a cell is placed into a hypertonic solution, will water move into or out of the cell?
Solution
The answer is the second one: out of the cell.
Explanation:
Into the cell: This option is incorrect. In a hypertonic solution, the concentration of solutes outside the cell is higher than inside the cell. Water moves from areas of lower solute concentration to areas of higher solute concentration to achieve equilibrium. Therefore, water will not move into the cell in this scenario.
Out of the cell: This option is correct. When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, water will move out of the cell to the area of higher solute concentration outside the cell. This movement of water is due to osmosis, which aims to balance the solute concentrations on both sides of the cell membrane.
No net movement: This option is incorrect. No net movement would occur if the solution were isotonic, meaning the solute concentrations inside and outside the cell are equal. In a hypertonic solution, there is a net movement of water out of the cell.
Summary:
When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, water will move out of the cell due to osmosis, as the solution outside the cell has a higher solute concentration.