Question
what does it mean for environment to be isotonic
Answers
GPT-4o mini
An isotonic environment refers to a situation where the concentration of solutes (such as salts, sugars, or other substances) in two different environments is equal. In biological terms, when a cell is in an isotonic solution, the concentration of solutes outside the cell is the same as the concentration of solutes inside the cell.
This has important implications for the movement of water across cell membranes. In an isotonic environment, water moves in and out of the cell at equal rates, resulting in no net gain or loss of water. As a result, the cell maintains its shape and does not become swollen (as in a hypotonic environment) or shriveled (as in a hypertonic environment).
In summary, an isotonic environment is characterized by equal solute concentrations on either side of a membrane, leading to balanced osmotic pressure and stability in cell volume.
This has important implications for the movement of water across cell membranes. In an isotonic environment, water moves in and out of the cell at equal rates, resulting in no net gain or loss of water. As a result, the cell maintains its shape and does not become swollen (as in a hypotonic environment) or shriveled (as in a hypertonic environment).
In summary, an isotonic environment is characterized by equal solute concentrations on either side of a membrane, leading to balanced osmotic pressure and stability in cell volume.