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Salt water is a hypertonic solution; therefore, the vacuole in the cell will shrink. The water in the cell's vacuole exits the plasma membrane to balance the solutions, and since the salt can not enter through the cells differentialy permeable membrane the cell is only loosing substance so it shrinks. When the elodea cells are in fresh water there is no reaction. Elodea is a fresh water plant

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14y ago
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6mo ago

A cell membrane will shrink when placed in salt water due to the process of osmosis. Salt water has a higher concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell, causing water to move out of the cell through the process of osmosis, leading to the shrinking of the cell.

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13y ago

Due to osmosis. The cell has water in it, cell membranes are permeable, and if you have different salt concentrations across the membrane water will move over in an attempt to even out the balance.

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13y ago

Plasmolysis- net loss of liquid from the cytoplasm.

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11y ago

yes

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Q: Why will a cell membrane shrink when placed in salt water?
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What are the results when a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution?

When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, water will move out of the cell, causing it to shrink or shrivel up. This is because the concentration of solutes outside the cell is higher than inside, creating an osmotic gradient that leads to water loss from the cell.


What is the difference between lysis and plasmolysis?

Lysis is the complete breaking down of a cell membrane, leading to the release of its contents. Plasmolysis, on the other hand, is the reduction of cell volume due to water loss, causing the cell membrane to detach from the cell wall. Lysis is usually irreversible and results in cell death, while plasmolysis can be reversed by rehydrating the cell.


What happens to a animal cell when placed in an hypertonic solution?

When placed in a hypertonic solution, an animal cell will lose water due to the higher concentration of solutes outside the cell. This causes the cell to shrink and may lead to dehydration and potential cell damage.


What is the phenomenon known as whereby cell loses water through osmosis?

The phenomenon is known as plasmolysis, where a cell loses water through osmosis causing the cell membrane to shrink away from the cell wall. This occurs when a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution with a higher solute concentration than the cytoplasm of the cell.


What happen to onion cell epidermis if placed in hypertonic solution?

If an onion cell epidermis is placed in a hypertonic solution, water will move out of the cell due to osmosis, causing the cell to shrink and the cell membrane to pull away from the cell wall. This process is known as plasmolysis.

Related questions

Will A red blood cell placed in pure water will shrink?

A red blood cell placed in pure (distilled) water will explode because of osmosis.Substances naturally seek equilibrium through osmosis by going from areas of high concentration to low concentration, the concentration of H2O is much greater outside the cell than inside and as a result water will rush into the cell and burst the membrane.


What will happen to freshwater bacterial cell that is placed in salt water?

Water leaves the cell, causing the cell to shrink.


A Cell is placed in a salt solution whose concentration is greater than cell?

In this scenario, the salt solution is hypertonic compared to the cell. Water will move out of the cell through osmosis, causing the cell to shrink or shrivel up.


What are the results when a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution?

When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, water will move out of the cell, causing it to shrink or shrivel up. This is because the concentration of solutes outside the cell is higher than inside, creating an osmotic gradient that leads to water loss from the cell.


What would happen if freshwater bacterial cells are placed in salt water?

water leaves the cell causeing the cell to shrink.


What is the difference between lysis and plasmolysis?

Lysis is the complete breaking down of a cell membrane, leading to the release of its contents. Plasmolysis, on the other hand, is the reduction of cell volume due to water loss, causing the cell membrane to detach from the cell wall. Lysis is usually irreversible and results in cell death, while plasmolysis can be reversed by rehydrating the cell.


What happens to a animal cell when placed in an hypertonic solution?

When placed in a hypertonic solution, an animal cell will lose water due to the higher concentration of solutes outside the cell. This causes the cell to shrink and may lead to dehydration and potential cell damage.


What is the phenomenon known as whereby cell loses water through osmosis?

The phenomenon is known as plasmolysis, where a cell loses water through osmosis causing the cell membrane to shrink away from the cell wall. This occurs when a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution with a higher solute concentration than the cytoplasm of the cell.


What happen to onion cell epidermis if placed in hypertonic solution?

If an onion cell epidermis is placed in a hypertonic solution, water will move out of the cell due to osmosis, causing the cell to shrink and the cell membrane to pull away from the cell wall. This process is known as plasmolysis.


What will cause the cell to shrink when placed in hypertonic solution?

When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution with higher solute concentration than inside the cell, water will move out of the cell via osmosis to balance the concentration. This loss of water causes the cell to shrink and may lead to cell dehydration and potential cell death.


When a human red blood cell is placed in a hypertonic environment it will?

It will undergo crenation. This means that the red blood cell will shrink in size and become shrivelled-looking. This is due to osmosis, which is the net movement of water molecules from a region of higher water potential (red blood cell) to a region of lower water potential (hypertonic solution) through a partially-permeable membrane (cell membrane).


Which part of the cell is greatly affected by plasmolysis?

The cell membrane is greatly affected by plasmolysis. Plasmolysis occurs when a cell loses water and the cell membrane detaches from the cell wall, causing the cell to shrink and the membrane to pull away from the cell wall.