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What do you think happens to a plant cell if the plant is given too much water?

a. the phloem will absorb and store the excess water.
b. the roots will absorb and store the excess water.
c. the vacuoles will not be able to hold all of the water.
d. the leaf will not be able to hold all of the water.

User Glaxer
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

If given too much water, a plant cell's central vacuole expands and can make the plant turgid. The vacuole and cell wall have limits to their expansion, and excess water may cause plant tissues to turn brittle.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a plant cell is given too much water, the cell's large central vacuole, which plays a critical role in maintaining turgor pressure and the cell's water balance, fills with the excess water. This results in the vacuole expanding and exerting pressure against the cell wall, creating turgidity in the plant cell. However, plant cells cannot indefinitely absorb water; there is a limit to how much the central vacuole can hold and how much the cell wall can expand. If too much water continues to enter the plant, the cells can become overstressed and the plant's tissues may become brittle and susceptible to damage. Typically, the correct response would be that the vacuoles will expand to hold the excess water, and the plant will become turgid until a balance of osmotic pressure and turgor pressure is achieved.

User Jon Shea
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