Tonicity

Front

What is tonicity?

Back

Tonicity refers to the ability of a solution to affect the volume and pressure of a cell by osmosis.

Front

What is an isotonic solution?

Back

An isotonic solution has the same concentration of solutes as the cell, resulting in no net movement of water.

Front

What is a hypertonic solution?

Back

A hypertonic solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to the cell, causing water to move out of the cell, leading to cell shrinkage.

Front

What is a hypotonic solution?

Back

A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes compared to the cell, causing water to move into the cell, potentially leading to cell swelling or bursting.

Front

What is osmosis?

Back

Osmosis is the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration.

Front

What does selectively permeable mean?

Back

Selectively permeable means that a membrane allows certain substances to pass through while blocking others.

Front

How does a cell maintain homeostasis?

Back

A cell maintains homeostasis by regulating what enters and leaves the cell.

Front

What happens to a cell in a hypertonic solution?

Back

In a hypertonic solution, the cell loses water and may shrink.

Front

What happens to a cell in a hypotonic solution?

Back

In a hypotonic solution, the cell gains water and may swell or burst.

Front

What is equilibrium in the context of molecules?

Back

Equilibrium occurs when the concentration of molecules is equal inside and outside the cell.