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The osmotic pressure exerted by a cell would decrease if the cell synthesized more proteins. (T/F?)

User Jspeshu
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Final answer:

The synthesis of more proteins within a cell would likely increase the osmotic pressure, not decrease it, due to more solute particles being inside the cell. Osmolarity affects the rate of contractions in organisms like Paramecium, and cellular functions may be impacted by pH changes or imbalances in endocytosis and exocytosis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that osmotic pressure exerted by a cell would decrease if the cell synthesized more proteins is false. In biological systems, osmotic pressure is determined by the concentration of solutes in a solution. If a cell were to synthesize more proteins, this would increase the number of solute particles within the cell. This, in turn, would increase the cell's internal osmotic pressure, potentially causing water to flow into the cell to balance the osmotic gradient.

In the context of osmoregulation, the ability of cells to maintain their internal environment can be quite complex. Protists like Paramecium use structures like a contractile vacuole to actively expel water to prevent the cell from bursting. If external osmolarity decreases, water would diffuse into the Paramecium due to the higher internal solute concentration, increasing the rate of contractile vacuole contractions to expel excess water and thus maintain cellular integrity.

If the pH outside of a cell decreases, the amount of amino acids transported into the cell could either increase or decrease depending on the specific transport mechanisms and the chemistry of the amino acids involved. Each amino acid has a different isoelectric point and may be charged differently at various pH levels, which can affect their interaction with transport proteins and the cell membrane.

Concerning cellular processes like endocytosis and exocytosis, if a cell can perform exocytosis but only minimal endocytosis, it could lead to a gradual increase in the size of the plasma membrane. This imbalance could eventually disturb the cell's homeostasis and cellular function.

User Dave Anders
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