Question

(a) Why does the plant cell, placed in a hypotonic solution, not burst?
(b) What happens when a fully turgid plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution? Name the phenomenon.

Answer 1

(a) Osmosis:

1. A plant cell, when placed in a hypotonic solution, it receives water by osmosis.
2. It does not burst because it is surrounded by a rigid cell wall that can withstand the turgor pressure of the turgid cell contents.
3. Turgid means cells or tissues that are swollen due to water uptake.

(b) Cell placed in a hypertonic solution:

1. When a fully turgid plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, the cytoplasm along with the plasma membrane shrinks and separates from the cell wall as water flows out from the vacuole of the cell.
2. This phenomenon is called plasmolysis.