Question

a drop of a 5% solution of NaCl is added to a leaf of an aquatic plant. when the leaf is viewed under a microscope, colourless region appear ath the edges of each cell as the cell membrane shrinks from the cell walls. describe what is happening and why.

Answer 1

5% solution of NaCl has higher concentration of NaCl. This means that its water content is lesser than that of the leaf of the aquatic plant.

The leaf is shrinking because its cell membrane is shrinking after being exposed to the NaCl solution. The water in the leaf is leaving the cells. This is a process called osmosis.

Osmosis is defined as the spontaneous net movement of solvent molecules through a semi-permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration. This is to regain equilibrium.