Final answer:
A solution with fewer particles and less osmotic pressure than blood plasma is referred to as hypotonic. This type of solution can cause water to enter and potentially burst a cell due to lower solute concentration compared to the cell's interior.
Step-by-step explanation:
A solution with fewer particles and exerting less osmotic pressure than blood plasma is called hypotonic. Hypotonic solutions have a lower solute particle concentration and a lower osmotic pressure compared to the cytoplasm of cells. When a cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, water will enter the cell, following its concentration gradient. This is in contrast to a hypertonic solution, which has higher solute particle concentration and osmotic pressure than the cell, leading to water leaving the cell.
It's important that intravenous solutions are isotonic with blood plasma to avoid damage to red blood cells. An isotonic solution has the same solute concentration and osmotic pressure as the cells it surrounds, which means that there will be no net movement of water into or out of the cell.