Question

If a red blood cell (interior concentration of 0.9% salt) was placed into a test tube of 10% salt, what would happen to the red blood cell?

• A. It would fill with water and burst
• B. Nothing, the solution is isotonic to the interior of the red blood cell
• C. The red blood cell would shrink as it loses water to the salt solution in the test tube
• D. None of these

Answer 1

The correct option is C The red blood cell would shrink as it loses water to the salt solution in the test tube

In this case, the concentration of solution outside the blood cell is more and is thus called as hypertonic. It infers that the cell will shrink, as the water inside the cell moves outside making the cell flaccid. This process is called exosmosis. It happens because of the variation in the concentration gradient.

So, the correct answer is option C.