Question

When a cell is kept in 0.5 M solution of sucrose its volume foes not alter. Of the same cell is placed in 0.5 M solution of sodium chloride then what happens to the volume of the cell?

Answer 1

A cell dipped in 0.5M sucrose solution do decrease in size but this takes time. The process of shrinking of the protoplasm of cell due to movement of water from its higher concentration (inside cell) to the region where its concentration is low (in sucrose or salt solution) is known as plasmolysis.
Plasmolysis takes more time when the cell is placed in the solutions of low molarity.
When the same cell is placed in 0.5M NaCl solution, the decrease in cell size is seen immediately because though the molarity is same but the solution contains salt as a solute and is an electrolye solute. Thus, it causes the rate of plasmolysis to increase.