A student had their wisdom teeth removed, and their mouth is swollen. Their doctor tells them to rinse their mouth with a warm saltwater solution every few hours. How does the saltwater solution help reduce the swelling in the student's mouth? A. The salt water is a hypotonic solution, and the swollen cells in the student's mouth will take in water through osmosis. B. The salt water is a hypotonic solution, and the swollen cells in the student's mouth will release water through diffusion. C. The salt water is a hypertonic solution, and the swollen cells in the student's mouth will take in water through diffusion. D. The salt water is a hypertonic solution, and the swollen cells in the student's mouth will release water through osmosis.

Answer 1

The correct answer is D. The salt water is a hypertonic solution, and the swollen cells in the student's mouth will release water through osmosis.

When a hypertonic solution (like a saltwater solution) is introduced to swollen cells (which have a higher concentration of water and lower concentration of solutes), water moves out of the cells to balance the concentration of solutes on both sides of the cell membrane. This process is called osmosis. By rinsing with saltwater, the swollen cells lose water, which can help to reduce swelling in the mouth.