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Hypotonic or Hypertonic or Isotonic?


Hypertonic environment

Hypertonic solutions will have a higher concentration of solute (glucose, salt, etc) than the cell. Mainly water will move across the cell membrane in order to even out the concentration of solutes in both the cell and the environment around the cell. The cell will shrink  as water leaves the cell to decrease the higher concentration of solute in the environment.

Hypotonic environment

Hypotonic environments will have a lower concentration of solute  than the cell. Water will move from the environment into the cell in order to balance the concentration of solute. When water diffuses into the cell it will swell. Sometimes the cell may lyse or burst due to the excess water uptake.

Isotonic environment

Isotonic environments have the same concentration of soules as the cell. Water will diffuse both in and out of the cell, but no net effect will be seen.


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