Final answer:
Spikes form on a blood cell when placed in a hypertonic solution, causing the cell to shrink as water leaves it due to the high solute concentration of the surrounding fluid.
Step-by-step explanation:
"Spikes" form on a blood cell when it is placed in a(n) hypertonic solution. In a hypertonic solution, the water flows out of the cell into the surrounding environment, causing the blood cell to shrink and potentially collapse. This is because the hypertonic solution has a higher solute concentration compared to the inside of the cell, leading to the movement of water out of the cell in an attempt to balance the concentration on both sides of the cell membrane. It is important that intravenous (IV) solutions are isotonic with blood serum to prevent such deleterious effects on red blood cells.Hypotonic solutions, on the other hand, have a lower concentration of solutes compared to the inside of a red blood cell, causing water to rush into the cell leading to swelling and possibly bursting. Isotonic solutions are those in which the extracellular fluid has the same osmolarity as the cell, resulting in no net movement of water across the cell membrane, which preserves the cell's normal shape and function.