An investigation is set up to study the movement of water through a membrane. The results are shown in the diagram.
Based on these results, which statement correctly predicts what will happen to red blood cells when they are placed in a beaker containing a saltwater solution that has a salt concentration much higher than that of the red blood cells?
A.
The red blood cells will lose water and decrease in size.
B.
The red blood cells will absorb water and increase in size.
C.
The red blood cells will first absorb water, then lose water.
D.
The red blood cells will first lose water, then absorb water.
A. The red blood cells will lose water and decrease in size.
A. The red blood cells will lose water and decrease in size.
To determine what will happen to red blood cells when placed in a beaker containing a high salt concentration saltwater solution, we can look at the results shown in the diagram. The diagram suggests that when a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution (higher solute concentration outside the cell), water will move out of the cell through osmosis to equalize the concentration on both sides of the membrane.
In this case, the red blood cells have a lower salt concentration than the saltwater solution. This means the saltwater solution is hypertonic to the red blood cells. Based on the diagram, we can predict that water will move out of the red blood cells, causing them to lose water and decrease in size.
Therefore, the correct statement is A. The red blood cells will lose water and decrease in size.