why does a single-celled freshwater organism, such as a protistian, shrink when transferred to salt water?

Answer 1

because it obsorbs the salt and releases the water it is called osmosis.

Answer 2

Water generally travels from a high concentration to a lower concentration. Since the water inside of the freshwater organism has less salt and other minerals in it, it has a higher concentration. The water diffuses out of the pores of the organism and into the salt water. Normally the freshwater would diffuse out until the two concentrations were equal. Since there isn't enough fresh water in the freshwater organism (especially if it is microscopic) to raise the concentration of the salt water, the freshwater organism shrinks and will eventually shrivel up.

Answer 3

Osmosis. The membrane of the cell will let in the salt water and the salt causes the shrinking

Answer 4

The salt in the salt water draws liquid from the organism, thus causing it to shrink. It is caused by osmosis, the movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

Answer 5

diffusion.

There is more fresh water in cell then there is out in the salt water. This causes an imbalance which nature corrects by drawing water out of the cell.

If you reversed the experiment and put a salt water organism in fresh water it would swell up and maybe even pop.

Answer 6

The walls of the cells of this organism are semipermeable. Therefore, when a concentration gradient of salt is encountered, the cell membrane tries to obtain a new equilibrium by trnsfering water out of its inner body.

Answer 7

The organism does't need any more salt intake. On a diet, hellooooo? Really though, it is controlling what it's exposed to. By shrinking it really doesn't take in any more salt than it can handle or needs.

Answer 8

Water content in the protistan is higher and salt content is less.Salty water is having more salt and less water. This creates an osmotic force enabling water to leave protistan body and enter the salty water.This movement of water out of the protistan causes shrinkage of its cell body.

Answer 9

salt water is more dense. Can hold less. Maybe also have some to do with teh absorbtive characteristics of salt but im thinking its mostly the density.

Answer 10

water through a semipermeable membrane that water leaves the protistian to try to make an equilibrium with the water out side the cell. thus it shrinks and probably dies.