Tonicity and Cell Physiology

Tonicity and Cell Physiology

Read each question carefully and provide your best answer. Diagrams may be helpful for some questions.

1. What term describes a solution with a lower solute concentration than the cell cytoplasm, causing water to move into the cell?

2. When a red blood cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, what is the most likely outcome?

3. The net movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration is called  .

4. Plant cells in a hypotonic solution become   due to the influx of water, but are prevented from bursting by their  .

5. A solution with the same solute concentration as the cell's cytoplasm is called a hypotonic solution.

6. Plasmolysis occurs in animal cells when placed in a hypertonic solution.

7. Describe the process of osmosis and its importance in maintaining cell homeostasis.

8. Compare and contrast the effects of a hypertonic solution on an animal cell versus a plant cell. Include relevant terminology.

9. Observe the diagram below, which illustrates a cell's response to different solutions. Label each beaker with the correct tonicity (isotonic, hypotonic, or hypertonic) and briefly explain the movement of water and the resulting state of the cell in each.