Question

Because the procedure you are using to modify plants requires their cell membranes to be pulled away from the cell walls by plasmolysis, you place the cells in a(n) ________?

1) isotonic solution
2) hypertonic solution
3) hypotonic solution
4) acid solution
5) basic solution

Answer 1

To induce plasmolysis in plant cells, where the cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall, the cells must be placed in a hypertonic solution.

Step-by-step explanation:

For plasmolysis to occur, the plant cells must be placed in a hypertonic solution. This type of solution has a higher concentration of solutes outside the cell than inside, resulting in water moving out from the cell, causing the cell membrane to shrink and detach from the cell wall. Plasmolysis is the condition where the cell membrane constricts and detaches, leading to the plant wilting as it loses turgor pressure.

A hypotonic solution would cause water to enter the cell, creating turgor pressure, while an isotonic solution would maintain the water level inside and outside of the cell equally. In contrast, a cell with a cell wall, like a plant cell, will lose water and undergo plasmolysis in a hypertonic solution. Plasmolysis occurs when the cell membrane detaches from the cell wall and constricts the cytoplasm. Therefore, the correct answer is 2) hypertonic solution.