Final answer:
A hypotonic solution is an aqueous solution with a lower concentration of solutes compared to the cell's intracellular fluid, causing water to enter the cell. This can lead to cell swelling and lysis. Tonicity is a key concept in biology, referring to the solute concentration in a solution relative to the cell's cytoplasm.
Step-by-step explanation:
An aqueous solution whose solute concentration is less than that of the intracellular fluid is termed hypotonic. In biology, tonicity describes the amount of solute in a solution and its effect on cell movement in osmolarity. A hypotonic solution has a lower osmolarity, or a lower concentration of solutes, compared to the fluid inside a cell, leading to a net movement of water into the cell. This can result in the cell swelling and potentially bursting, a process known as lysis.
Three terms are used to describe these osmolarity conditions: hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic. A hypertonic solution has a higher osmolarity than the cell's cytoplasm which causes water to leave the cell, while an isotonic solution has the same osmolarity as the cell, causing no net water movement. These concepts are essential in fields such as medicine and cellular biology, providing insights into how cells interact with their surrounding environment.