Explain what happens to cells in the following environment.

Question

What would happen to animal cells in Isotonic, Hypertonic, and Hypotonic environment?

What would happen to a plant cell in Isotonic, Hypertonic, and Hypotonic environment?

 

Animal cells prefer which type of environment? (Isotonic, hypertonic, or hypotonic)

Plant cells prefer which type of environment? (Isotonic, hypertonic, or hypotonic) 

Answer 1

Animal cells prefer an isotonic environment. When in this environment, water homeostasis is maintained and the cells will neither shrink nor swell.

 

Plant cells tend to prefer a hypotonic environment.  In this environment, the salt concentration inside the cell is higher than that outside the cell.  Water will thus move into the cell to balance the salt concentration, and the cell will swell and become somewhat rigid (become “turgid”), and turgidity is important to plants.