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Which of the following statements about blood cells in solutions is CORRECT?

1) A blood cell placed in an isotonic solution will swell.
2) A blood cell placed in a hypotonic solution will swell.
3) A blood cell placed in a hypotonic solution will shrink.
4) A blood cell placed in an isotonic solution will shrink.
5) A cell placed in a hypotonic solution will remain the same size.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The correct answer is that a blood cell in a hypotonic solution will swell, as the outside solution has a lower solute concentration than the cell's interior, causing water to enter the cell.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the behavior of blood cells when placed in solutions with different tonicity. The correct statement about blood cells in solutions is that a blood cell placed in a hypotonic solution will swell. This occurs because in a hypotonic solution, the extracellular fluid has a lower concentration of solutes than the fluid inside the cell, which causes water to move into the cell, leading to cell swelling and potentially hemolysis.

On the contrary, a blood cell placed in an isotonic solution will remain the same size because the solute concentration is equal inside and outside the cell, resulting in no net movement of water. When a blood cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, it will shrink as water moves out of the cell into the environment with a higher solute concentration.

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