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Question
what do you think will happen if you add a hypotonic solution to the cells?
a) the cells will swell
b) half of the cells will explode
c) the cells will shrink
d) nothing will happen to the cells
A hypotonic solution has a lower solute concentration than the inside of a cell. By osmosis, water moves from an area of lower solute concentration (the hypotonic solution) into the cell, which has a higher solute concentration. This influx of water causes the cell to swell. Animal cells may eventually burst, but the core initial and most consistent effect across cells is swelling, and the other options are incorrect: cells do not shrink (that happens in hypertonic solutions), half exploding is not a standard outcome, and water movement does cause a change.
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a) The cells will swell