In a hypotonic solution, what occurs to the cell?

In a hypotonic solution, what occurs to the cell?

• A. Water leaves the cell
• B. No net water movement
• C. Water enters the cell when the outside has lower solute concentration than inside
• D. The cell becomes hypertonic

Answer: (C)

Osmosis governs this: water moves from higher water potential to lower water potential. In a hypotonic solution, the outside has a lower solute concentration than the inside, so the outside has higher water potential. Water flows into the cell to balance the solute concentrations, causing the cell to swell. Animals can lyse if it swells too much, while plant cells become turgid because the cell wall prevents bursting. The idea that water leaves the cell would require a hypertonic outside; no net movement fits an isotonic situation, and saying the cell becomes hypertonic confuses the relative solute environments (the outside is hypotonic, not the cell becoming hypertonic).

Osmosis governs this: water moves from higher water potential to lower water potential. In a hypotonic solution, the outside has a lower solute concentration than the inside, so the outside has higher water potential. Water flows into the cell to balance the solute concentrations, causing the cell to swell. Animals can lyse if it swells too much, while plant cells become turgid because the cell wall prevents bursting. The idea that water leaves the cell would require a hypertonic outside; no net movement fits an isotonic situation, and saying the cell becomes hypertonic confuses the relative solute environments (the outside is hypotonic, not the cell becoming hypertonic).