What will happen if we put a plant and animal cell in:
(a) hypotonic solution
(b) hypertonic solution
(c) isotonic solution
What will happen if we put a plant and animal cell in:
(a) hypotonic solution
(b) hypertonic solution
(c) isotonic solution
(a) hypotonic solution - Plant cells swell up when kept in hypotonic solution because plant cells absorb large amounts of water. The vacuole gets completely filled with water and the cytoplasm presses against the cell wall. But it does not burst due to the presence of the cell wall. The cell wall can withstand dilute hypotonic media and thus it prevents bursting of cells. Therefore, plant cells withstand changes in environmental concentration much better than animal cells which burst in such conditions.
(b) hypertonic solution - Both the animal and the plant cell will undergo plasmolysis. This means that water will move out of the cells and as a result they will shrink. The shrinking of the cell will result in the breaking down of plasma membrane.
(c) isotonic solution - Both the animal and the plant cell will remain unaffected due to no net movement of water. This will occur because of balance of osmolarity in the cell and the solution.
(a) hypotonic solution - Plant cells swell up when kept in hypotonic solution because plant cells absorb large amounts of water. The vacuole gets completely filled with water and the cytoplasm presses against the cell wall. But it does not burst due to the presence of the cell wall. The cell wall can withstand dilute hypotonic media and thus it prevents bursting of cells. Therefore, plant cells withstand changes in environmental concentration much better than animal cells which burst in such conditions.
(b) hypertonic solution - Both the animal and the plant cell will undergo plasmolysis. This means that water will move out of the cells and as a result they will shrink. The shrinking of the cell will result in the breaking down of plasma membrane.
(c) isotonic solution - Both the animal and the plant cell will remain unaffected due to no net movement of water. This will occur because of balance of osmolarity in the cell and the solution.
