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What will happen to cells when they are placed in a 10.0% (w/v) glucose solution?

(a) they will dissolve
(b) they will swell and then burst
(c) they will shrink
(d) they will precipitate
(e) nothing

User Kiran Dash
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Cells placed in a 10.0% glucose solution, which is hypertonic, will shrink due to water moving out of them in an attempt to balance the solute concentration across the cell membrane.

Step-by-step explanation:

When cells are placed in a 10.0% (w/v) glucose solution, which is a hypertonic solution with a higher solute concentration than the intracellular fluid, the cells will shrink. This is due to water moving out of the cells to balance the concentration of solutes inside and outside of the cell membrane. This process, known as osmosis, leads to a condition called crenation in red blood cells, where they become shriveled. If the cells were red blood cells placed in a hypotonic solution like distilled water, they would swell and likely undergo hemolysis, bursting due to an excessive influx of water. However, in a hypertonic solution such as 10.0% glucose, the opposite effect occurs, and the cells lose water and shrink.

User Cristi Berceanu
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