Question

What will happen if a cell is placed in the water with higher salt concentration than the concentration inside the cell?

• A. The cell will fill with water.
• B. Water will rush out of the cell.
• C. The distribution of water will not change.
• D. Salt will move from the cell to the exterior.
• E. The cell will clearly burst.

Answer 1

The correct option is B Water will rush out of the cell.

When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, it shrinks. The concentration inside the cell is lower (hypotonic) as compared to the outer solution (hypertonic). The water flows from lower concentration of solute to the higher concentration of solute, so water will rush out of the cell. The flow of water from inside the cell to the outside is known as exosmosis.

Thus, the correct answer is option 'Water will rush out of the cell'.