Final answer:
In a hypotonic solution, animal cells may swell and burst due to the osmotic flow of water into the cell, while plant cells swell but are supported by their cell walls, which prevent bursting and lead to turgidity.
Step-by-step explanation:
When animal cells, like red blood cells, are placed in a hypotonic solution, they will swell and may lyse (burst) due to the osmotic pressure caused by water moving into the cell. Plant cells will also swell, but the presence of a cell wall prevents them from bursting. Instead, plant cells become turgid, which is actually beneficial for the structure of the plant
In the case of animal cells without adaptations for osmoregulation, when placed in hypotonic solutions, the cells will swell as water enters to equalize the osmotic pressure. Red blood cells will continue to take in water until they burst. Contrastingly, plant cells will swell but eventually reach a state of turgidity where the cell wall prevents any further influx of water, thus preventing lysis.
Bacterial cells and other microorganisms with cell walls also tend to swell but do not burst due to the protective function of their cell walls. However, too much swelling can still damage or kill the cells. Turgor pressure in plant cells supports the structure of the plant, as long as the external environment remains hypotonic.