A red blood cell placed in distilled water will
Correct answer: D. swell and burst
- A. shrink and become crenated
- B. remain unchanged
- C. become turgid but survive
- D. swell and burst
Explanation
Water enters the cell by osmosis because the cytoplasm has the lower water potential, and with no cell wall to resist the pressure the membrane stretches until it ruptures, a process called haemolysis. Placed in a concentrated salt solution the same cell loses water and becomes crenated instead. This is why fluids given intravenously must be isotonic with blood plasma.
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About Animal and Plant Cell
Animal and plant cells share a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, ribosomes, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, but plant cells also have a cellulose cell wall, chloroplasts and a large permanent vacuole. Questions cover organelle structure and function, differences between the two cell types, and how membranes control movement of substances.
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