Asked by john
What would most likely happen to a unicellular organism if it was exposed to a hypotonic solution for an extended period of time?
It would shrivel and shrink.
It would swell but never burst.
It would swell and then burst.
It would not be affected.
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
It would swell and then burst.
Explanation: In a hypotonic solution water enters the cell by osmosis (water moves from low solute/high water outside to high solute/low water inside). Without a rigid cell wall or water-expelling mechanisms (e.g., contractile vacuole), the incoming water causes the cell to swell until the membrane ruptures (lysis).
Explanation: In a hypotonic solution water enters the cell by osmosis (water moves from low solute/high water outside to high solute/low water inside). Without a rigid cell wall or water-expelling mechanisms (e.g., contractile vacuole), the incoming water causes the cell to swell until the membrane ruptures (lysis).
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