Question

A cell placed in strong salt solution will shrink because

• A. cytoplasm will decompose
• B. mineral salts will break the cell wall
• C. salts enters the cell
• D. water comes out by exosmosis

Answer 1

The correct option is D water comes out by exosmosis

Osmosis is the process of the movement of solvent molecules (maily water) through a semipermeable membrane from a region of higher solvent concentration to the region of lower solvent concentration. Hence, the water molecules move into a cell when a cell is placed in a hypotonic medium resulting in an increase in cell volume and water moves out of the cell when a cell is placed in a hypertonic medium resulting in a decrease in cell volume. Movement of water into a cell is called as endosmosis and movement of water out from a cell is called as exosmosis. So, a cell placed in strong salt solution will shrink because water comes out by exosmosis.