Question

What will happen if a plant and animal cell is put in a hypotonic solution?
A. Cell swells
B. Cell shrinks
C. Cell bursts
D. None of these

Answer 1

Cell membrane allows the movement of solvent inside and outside the cell. Solvent moves from higher concentration to lower concentration. In hypotonic solution, solvent moves inside the cell because solute concentration is higher inside the cell. Cell shrinks when water moves outside the cell.

Complete answer:
Cell membrane is the outer membrane of the cell through which various substances transfer in and out of the cell. Plasma membrane is the selectively permeable membrane through which only selective membranes are transported. Types of solutions that occur in our body on the basis of solute concentration are: isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic. Amount of fluid present inside and outside of the cell is very important and determined by the amount of solutes outside of the cell. Solutes are dissolved in a solvent and together they form a solution.
An isotonic solution is one in which concentration of solutes equal in both the side inside and outside of the cell. In a hypotonic solution, concentration of solutes is greater inside the cell than outside. A hypertonic solution is the solution in which concentration of solutes is greater outside the cell than inside it and due to this water moves outside the cell and the cell becomes shrinked.
In a hypotonic solution, water moves inside the cell because concentration of solute is higher inside. To maintain the solvent concentration, solvent moves from higher concentration to lower concentration. When the solvent moves inside the cell it swells.
From the above information, we can say that animal and plant cells become swells in the hypotonic solution.

Therefore, the correct answer option A.

Note: When the animal and plant cell are placed in a hypertonic solution, the cell shrinks, because it loses water. Water moves from higher concentration to lower concentration. This is the reason when we drink salty water it makes us more dehydrated. Pure water and tap water are hypotonic. When we put water on a bloodstained cloth it makes the strain worse due to hypotonic solution.