p o t on ic ,

ts o f h y
The effec sotonic solutions
n i c a n d i ls
h yp e r t o n i m a l c e l
a n t a n d a
o n p l
In comparing two solutions with different
solute concentrations:
1.The solution with higher solute concentration
is said to be hypertonic (‘hyper’:more)
2.The solution with a lower solute
concentration is hypotonic (‘hypo’: less)
3.Solutions in which the concentration of solute
are equal are said to be isotonic (‘iso’: equal)
If the concentration of solute (salt)
is equal on both sides, the water
will move back in forth but it won't
have any result on the overall
amount of water on either side.
"ISO" means the same
The word "HYPO" means less, in this case
there are less solute (salt) molecules
outside the cell, since salt sucks, water
will move into the cell.
The cell will gain water and grow larger. In
plant cells, the central vacuoles will fill
and the plant becomes stiff and rigid, the
cell wall keeps the plant from bursting
In animal cells, the cell may be in danger
of bursting, organelles called
CONTRACTILE VACUOLES will pump
water out of the cell to prevent this.
The word "HYPER" means more, in this case
there are more solute (salt) molecules outside
the cell, which causes the water to be sucked in
that direction.
In plant cells, the central vacuole loses water
and the cells shrink, causing wilting.
In animal cells, the cells also shrink.
In both cases, the cell may die.
This is why it is dangerous to drink sea water -
its a myth that drinking sea water will cause you
to go insane, but people marooned at sea will
speed up dehydration (and death) by drinking
sea water.
This is also why "salting fields" was a common
tactic during war, it would kill the crops in the
field, thus causing food shortages.
Animal and plant cells in an isotonic solutions

1.An isotonic solution is a solution in

which the concentration of solute is
equal to that of the cytoplasm of the
cell
2.Water diffuses into and out of the cell
by osmosis at equal rates
3.Therefore there is no net movement of
water across the plasma membrane [no
net gain or net loss of water]
4.The cells retain their normal shape
Animal and plant cells in a hypotonic solutions

1.Solutions which contain a higher

concentration of water than that of the
cytoplasm are called hypotonic solutions
2.Hypotonic solutions contain lower
concentration of solute than the cell
3.Since the concentration of water is higher
outside the cell, there is net movement of
water from outside of the cell into the cell
by osmosis
4.The cells gains water, swells and the
internal pressure increases.
The effects of hypotonic solutions on animal cells

1. When red blood cells are immersed in a hypotonic

solution, water diffuses into the cells by osmosis
2. This is because the solution outside the cells is less
concentrated
3. The cells start to swell
4. If the solution s extremely hypotonic, that is consists
of distilled or pure water the cells may swell up and
eventually burst
5. The plasma membrane of red blood cells is too thin
and delicate to withstand the osmotic pressure which
develops within the cells
6. This causes the plasma membrane to rupture and the
contents are released to surroundings
7. This condition is called haemolysis
 The effects of hypotonic solutions on plant cells
1. When plant cells are immersed in a hypotonic solution
water diffuses into the large central vacoule by osmosis
2. The solution outside of the cell is less concentrated than
the inside of the cell
3. The large central vacoule expands, causing the cell to
swell
4. In this condition, the cell is said to be turgid and firm as a
result of the net flow of water into the cell
5. The plant cell does not burst because the rigid cell wall is
strong enough to resist the increasing pressure within
6. The swelling plant cell in a hypotonic creates turgor
pressure within the cell. This pressure prevents the cell
from taking too much water and bursting as an animal
cell would
7. Turgor pressure is very important to plant cells as it
supports and maintains the shape of the cells
Animal and plant cells in a hypertonic solutions

1.Hypertonic solutions contain a higher

concentration of solute than that of
the cell
2.Since the concentration of water is
higher within the cell, there is a net
movement of water from the inside to
the outside of the cell. As a result
water leaves the cell.
3.This causes the cell to shrink or shrivel
as its internal pressure
 The effects of hypertonic solutions on plant cells

1. When plant cells are immersed in a hypertonic solution,

water diffuses out of the large central vacoule by osmosis
2. Both the vacoule and cytoplasm lose water to the
surroundings and shrink. The plasma membrane pulls
away from the cell wall
3. This phenomenon is called plasmolysis, a shrinking of the
cytoplasm due to osmosis
4. The plant cell becomes flaccid and less turgid
5. The flaccidity of plant cells leads to wilting in plants
6. If plasmolysis persists, death of plant cells may result
7. However a plasmolyed plant cell can become turgid again
by immersing the cell in a hypotonic solution like pure
water. Water is taken up by osmosis and the cells become
turgid again
8. The cell is said to have undergone deplasmolysis.
 The shape of Elodea cells after being placed in an
hypertonic salt solution

These Elodea cells were placed

in a 10% NaCl solution. The Normal Elodea cells X 400
contents of the cells was
reduced but the cell walls
remained intact. Compare
these cells to normal cells in
the photograph below. 
The effects of hypertonic solutions on animal cells

1.When red blood cells are immersed in a

hypertonic solution, water diffuses out of
the cell by osmosis
2.The solution outside the cell is more
concentrated
3.The cells lose water to the external
environment, shrivel and the plasma
membrane crinkles up.
4.The red blood cells are said to have
undergone crenation.
 S ION Effect of different solutions on blood cells
ONCLU
C

Water leaves, No net Water enters,

the cell movement of the cell swells
shrinks and water, the cell and may
crenates retains its eventually
normal size burst (lysis )
 S ION Effect of different solutions on plant cells
ONCLU
C

Water leaves, No net Water enters,

the cytoplsm movement of the cell’s
shrinks and water, the cell vacuole swells
the cell retains its and the cell
plasmolyses normal size becomes
turgid
 y p o t o n ic
ic a n d h
hy p e r ton p lan ts
o to nic , - w o o dy
c ts of is of n o n
The ef f e e s tem s
n s o n th c e ll s
solu t io anim a l

Experiment :
Determining the concentration of an external
solution which is isotonic to the cell
sap of plant cell
Problem statement
What is the concentration of external
solution
1. Six petri dishes are prepared and labelled A, B, C,
D, E, F and G
2. Each beaker is filled with the following solutions :

Petri dish A : Distilled water

Petri dish B : 0.1 M sucrose solution
Petri dish C : 0.2 M
Petri dish D : 0.3 M
Petri dish E : 0.4
Petri dish F : 0.5
3. A medium-sized cork borer is pushed through a
large potato
4. The potat0 tissue is removed from the cork borer
5. It is then cut into a cylindicral strip 50 mm length
6. Step 3 to 5 are repeated to prepare another six
cylindrical strip
7. Each strip is wipe dry with a piece of tissue paper.
8. The mass of each potato strip is weigh and recorded
9. Each strip of potato is then placed in an petri dish
Solution Petri Initial
Result:
Final Difference Percentage in Texture and
dish mass mass in mass mass (%) appearance
(g) (g) (g)
Distilled 0.4/1.4X100= FIRM
Water A 1.4 1.8 0.4 28.6
0.1M
Sucrose B
solution
0.1M
Sucrose C
solution
0.1M
Sucrose D
solution
0.1M
Sucrose E
solution
0.1M
Sucrose F
solution
0.1M
Sucrose
Solution G
GRAPH :
 DISCUSSION :
1. The solution in Petri dish ___ to _____ are _______ or less
concentrated than the cell sap of the strips of potato.
Water diffuse into the cells by osmosis. This cause the
mass of the strips of potato to increase and the potato
strips to become _______ and turgid.
2. The point where the graph cuts the x-axis indicates that
there _________ in the percentage of the mass of the
potato strip. This means that the concentration of sucrose
solution ______ at this point is _______ to the cell sap of
the plant tissue.
3. The solution in petri dish ____ and ___ _ are ______ or
more concentrated than the cell sap of potato tissue. Water
leaves the cell by osmosis . This cause the potato strips to
become ________and the mass of the strips of potato to
________.
 S ION
N CL U
CO

Based on the graph , the concentration of

the cell sap of potato tissue is __________

http://www.college-cram.com/study/biology/cell-membranes/osmosis-in-a-plant-
cell/