When an environment is hypertonic, what happens to the cell?(1 point)
Responses
The cell has more solute, so solvent moves from outside the cell to inside, causing the cell to swell.
The environment has more solute, so solvent moves from inside the cell to outside, causing the cell to shrink.
The amount of solute is approximately equal in the environment and in the cell, causing no change by the cell.
The environment has more solute, so solvent moves from inside the cell to outside, causing the cell to shrink.
The environment has more solute, so solvent moves from inside the cell to outside, causing the cell to shrink.
To determine what happens to a cell when the environment is hypertonic, we need to understand the concept of tonicity. Tonicity refers to the concentration of solute particles outside the cell compared to inside the cell.
In a hypertonic environment, there is a higher concentration of solute outside the cell than inside. This creates a concentration gradient, causing solvent molecules (such as water) to move from an area of lower solute concentration (inside the cell) to an area of higher solute concentration (outside the cell).
Now let's analyze the given options:
1. The cell has more solute, so solvent moves from outside the cell to inside, causing the cell to swell. - This option is incorrect. In a hypertonic environment, the cell has a lower concentration of solute compared to the surrounding environment. Therefore, solvent (water) moves from inside the cell to outside, causing the cell to shrink.
2. The environment has more solute, so solvent moves from inside the cell to outside, causing the cell to shrink. - This option is correct. In a hypertonic environment, water moves out of the cell to balance the concentration of solutes, resulting in the cell shrinking or shrinking.
3. The amount of solute is approximately equal in the environment and in the cell, causing no change by the cell. - This option is incorrect. A hypertonic environment means that there is a higher concentration of solutes outside the cell, leading to changes in the cell.
Therefore, the correct option is: The environment has more solute, so solvent moves from inside the cell to outside, causing the cell to shrink.