Question

What is a hypertonic solution?

Answer 1

Solution:

1. A solution is said to be a homogeneous mixture of two or more components in any one phase(solid, liquid, or gas) and constitutes solute and solvent which are not visible with the unaided eye.
2. Tonicity is the ability of the extracellular solution to make water move in or out of the cell via osmosis and depends upon the total concentration of all the solute components.
3. Tonicity can be of three types namely isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic.
4. A cell in isotonic solution is in equilibrium with the respective extracellular fluid and hence no concentration gradient is present.
5. In a hypotonic solution, the inside of the cell has a lower solute concentration.

Hypertonic solution:

1. Hypertonic solution is a type of solution that has a higher concentration of solutes on the outside of a cell than on the inside of the cell.
2. Water will move out of the cell to the region of higher solute concentration causing the cell to wrinkle or shrivel.
3. A cell will lose volume if it is submerged in a hypertonic solution because there will be a net flow of water out of the cell.
4. Plasmolysis is the phenomenon by which a cell shrinks by losing water in a hypertonic solution.
5. As in the given image, the solvent particles are higher in “A” so they will move towards its lower concentration “B”.