A cell is bathed in a fluid. You notice that water is flowing out of the cell. In what kind of solution is this cell immersed - isotonic, hypertonic or hypotonic? I'm sort of confused on this one...
2007-12-17 14:44:33 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Dear person at top,
You are wrong... Its hypertonic is water is flowing OUT of the cell. hypotonic if water is flowing IN the cell, and isotonic if water exits and enters and an EQUAL rate.
2007-12-17 15:12:12 · answer #1 · answered by o-O 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The solution could be 5% salt and 95% water, and the cell could be 1% salt and 99% water.
Water always moves from high concentration to lower concentration (osmosis). This cell is losing water, so we know the solution around it is is more concentrated of salt (hypertonic) so water is moving from high concentration in the cell to lower concentration in these strong solutions. If the solution were isotonic, no net flow would occur. If the surroundings were hypotonic (lower in concentration), water would flow into the cell.
2007-12-17 15:11:34 · answer #2 · answered by Aunty Pat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just goes to show you that on Y!A even top contributors can be wrong. The solution is hypertonic, as very nicely explained by the other responders.
2007-12-17 23:44:53 · answer #3 · answered by Simonizer1218 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hypotonic
2007-12-17 15:01:22 · answer #4 · answered by Helmut 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋