Explain how osmosis changes water content, turgor and plasmolysis in walled plant cells across hypotonic and hypertonic solutions in IB Biology SL D2.3.6.
Water is one of the most abundant molecules on Earth. Living organisms must maintain homeostatic levels of water to survive.
Explain the process of osmosis with reference to its effects on plant cells.
a. osmosis is water moving through a partially/semi permeable membrane/cell membrane/aquaporins;
b. osmosis is a form of simple diffusion
OR
water travels down the (water) concentration gradient
OR
osmosis is passive;
c. the solute concentration determines the direction of net movement of water;
d. plant cells in hypotonic solutions will take in water;
e. they will swell/are turgid/develop turgor pressure (in hypotonic solutions);
f. cell wall prevents the plant cells from bursting due to water pressure (in hypotonic solutions);
g. plant cells in hypertonic solutions will lose water;
h. they will shrink/get smaller/flaccid (in hypertonic solutions);
i. the cell membrane will pull away from the cell wall/plasmolysis (in hypertonic solutions);
j. isotonic solutions are the same concentration as inside the plant cells/cytoplasm/cell sap;
k. plant cells will have no net change (in isotonic solutions)/water moves equally in and out of the cell/dynamic equilibrium;
7
Marking guidance:
max