Question

What is meant by plasmolysis? How is it practically useful to us?

Answer 1

• Plasmolysis is the process in which the protoplasm shrinks away from the cell wall of a plant or bacterium due to water loss from osmosis, thereby resulting in gaps between the cell wall and cell membrane. In plasmolysis, cells lose water in a hypertonic solution (high concentration). The importance of plasmolysis is -
• It is a vital phenomenon as it explains the process of osmosis.
• Plasmolysis demonstrates the permeability of the cell wall and the semipermeable nature of the protoplasm.
  
• It helps to detect whether a particular cell is living or dead as the plasmolysis does not take place in a dead cell.
  
• The osmotic pressure of a cell can be determined by the plasmolytic method.