Question

plants and animals that live in estuaries face a dilemma in maintaining a water balance inside their cells. during high tide they are exposed to salt water, while at low tide they are exposed to fresh water. during high tide, a plant or animal would be at risk of ______. options: bursting by osmosis, dehydration by facilitated diffusion of salts, dehydration by osmosis, bursting by active transport of salts, dehydration by active transport of salts

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze osmosis: during high tide, the environment (salt water) has a higher solute (salt) concentration than the cells of plants/animals. By osmosis, water moves from an area of lower solute concentration (inside cells) to higher (outside, salt water), causing cells to lose water and dehydrate.

• "Bursting" is incorrect as water would leave, not enter.
• "Facilitated diffusion/active transport of salts" is not the main mechanism here; osmosis (water movement due to solute concentration) drives dehydration. So the correct option relates to dehydration by osmosis.

Answer:

C. dehydration by osmosis (assuming the third option is labeled C; if the original options have different labels, adjust the identifier but keep the text. Based on the options, the correct one is the third option: dehydration by osmosis)