Saltwater is a _____ environment for a cell because the concentration of salt is greater outside the cell than inside it.
A.
hypertonic
B.
hypotonic
C.
isotonic
D.
dissolved
it was hypertonic thank you
The correct answer is A. hypertonic.
To understand why saltwater is a hypertonic environment for a cell, we need to understand the concept of tonicity. Tonicity refers to the relative concentration of solutes inside and outside of a cell. In this case, we are specifically looking at the concentration of salt (sodium chloride) in the water surrounding the cell.
A hypertonic solution has a higher concentration of solutes outside the cell compared to the inside. In saltwater, the concentration of salt is greater outside the cell than inside it. This creates a hypertonic environment for the cell.
When a cell is placed in a hypertonic environment, water molecules tend to move out of the cell through osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of water from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.
As water moves out of the cell in an attempt to equalize the concentration of solutes on both sides of the cell membrane, the cell becomes dehydrated and undergoes shrinkage. This process is known as plasmolysis and can eventually lead to cell death.
Therefore, due to the higher concentration of salt in saltwater compared to the inside of the cell, saltwater is a hypertonic environment for a cell.
toni...concentration
hyper...?