If a living plant were moved from a freshwater aquarium to a saltwater aquarium, which of the following would occur?
a
The plant's cells would lose water.
b
The plant's cells would lose sodium.
c
The plant's cells would block sodium movement.
d
The plant's cells would take in extra water.
a
The plant's cells would lose water.
a. The plant's cells would lose water.
When a living plant is moved from a freshwater aquarium to a saltwater aquarium, a process called osmosis occurs. Osmosis is the movement of water molecules across a semipermeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.
In this case, the saltwater aquarium has a higher concentration of salt compared to the plant's cells. As a result, water inside the plant's cells will move out of the cells, causing them to lose water. This can lead to dehydration and potential damage to the plant.
To determine the correct answer, let's analyze the situation.
When a freshwater plant is moved to a saltwater environment, the plant experiences a sudden change in the concentration of solutes in its surrounding medium. Freshwater has a lower concentration of solutes than saltwater, which means it has a lower osmotic pressure.
Based on this information, we can eliminate option b and option c. The plant's cells would not lose sodium since freshwater does not typically have a significant amount of sodium. Additionally, blocking sodium movement would not be a relevant response in this scenario.
Now, let's consider the remaining options:
a) The plant's cells would lose water: This is the most likely response. In a saltwater environment, water will tend to move out of the plant's cells and into the surrounding medium due to osmosis. This occurs because saltwater has a higher osmotic pressure than the plant's cells, causing water to move across the plant's cell membranes to try to equalize the concentration of solutes.
d) The plant's cells would take in extra water: This is not a correct response. The plant's cells do not take in extra water when moved from a freshwater environment to a saltwater environment. Instead, they lose water due to the osmotic pressure difference between the plant's cells and the saltwater.
Therefore, the correct answer is option a) The plant's cells would lose water.