Question

4. For each of the 3 solutions (A, B and C) you tested on the RBC's describe the direction for the net movement of water. 5. Why are plant cells less susceptible to swelling in hypotonic environments than animal cells? Describe what is happening in plasmolysis when solution. Sketch a plasmolysed cell. onion cells are placed in a hypertonie

Answer 1

4. Cell placed in hypertonic solution: Water moves out; cell shrinks

Cell placed in isotonic solution: No net movement of water; cell stays the same

Cell placed in hypotonic solution: Water moves into the cell, the cell swells

5. Plant cells are less susceptible to swelling due to the presence of vacuoles for maintaining water balance and a cell wall for maintaining cell shape.

6. During plasmolysis, the plant cell protoplast loses water and shrinks. The cell wall remains intact, but the cell body shrinks and sticks to the cell wall from the inside.

Plasmolysed plant cell