If a researcher finds that a plant cell is neither swelling nor shrinking in a specific solution, they can conclude the solution is ____.
Isotonic
A cell changes size only when water moves across its membrane by osmosis, and the direction of that movement is set by the difference in solute concentration inside and outside the cell.
If the cell is neither swelling nor shrinking, water is entering and leaving at the same rate, so there is no concentration gradient — the surrounding solution has the same solute concentration as the cell sap. Such a solution is described as isotonic.
A hypotonic solution or pure water would drive water in and make the cell turgid, while a more concentrated solution would draw water out and cause plasmolysis.
Hence, the answer is Isotonic.
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Important Questions from Cell
Which of the following is an epithelial tissue?
I. Squamous
II. Ciliated
Cells of ______ and ______ tissues are living cells.
The process of converting ammonia into nitrates is called:
Which of the following is not true about prokaryotic cells?
Fore limbs of whale, bat, tiger and man are examples of
