An animal cell is placed in a beaker of pure water..?

Question

What will happen to the cell? What is the reason for the difference between what happens to plant and animal cells placed in pure water?

Answer 1

Cells both plant and animal are semi permable this means that they allow some substances to enter and leave the cell hence Osmosis will occur. Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration through a semi-permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration. Pure water has a high water concentration than an animal or plant cell this is beacuse cells contain many solutes in the cytoplasm. hence water will move into the cell causing it to swell up. However animal and plant cells will react differently to this.

Plant cells
Plant cells always have a strong cell wall surrounding them. When the take up water by osmosis they start to swell, but the cell wall prevents them from bursting. Plant cells become "turgid" when they are put in pure water. Turgid means swollen and hard. The pressure inside the cell rises, eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell. This liquid or hydrostatic pressure works against osmosis.

Animal cells
In pure water, animal cells swell up and burst: they do not become turgid because there is no cell wall to support the cell membrane.

For more information on osmosis and plant and animal cells visit:
http://www.purchon.com/biology/osmosis.htm
http://www.biotopics.co.uk/life/osmdia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis

Answer 2

osmosis occurs. water molecules of the surrounding would enter the cell passing the cell surface membrane because the water potential of pure water is much higher than the water potential of the animal cell. so when water molecules enter the animal cell it would expand in size and if it is not removed, it would burst. plant cells have cell walls that resists further change. plant cells will only expand until the cell wall can hold it. thus plant cells will not burst but become turgid.

Answer 3

A net gain of water will diffuse into the cell and depending upon the cell it will either swell or burst. This condition of placing a cell in pure water is called "hypotonic".
A plant cell will swell, not burst, due to a rigid cell wall.

Answer 4

The animal cell will start to expand due to osmosis, and eventually, it will explode since there's too much water in it.