Question

A red blood cell may burst when placed in which of the following kinds of solutions?

1) hypertonic
2) hypotonic
3) isotonic
4) any of these
5) none of these

Answer 1

A red blood cell may burst when placed in a hypotonic solution, due to the osmotic flow of water into the cell causing it to swell and potentially rupture.

Step-by-step explanation:

A red blood cell may burst when placed in a hypotonic solution. This is due to the net movement of water into the cell, a process called osmosis, which can cause the cell to swell and potentially rupture in what is known as hemolysis. When compared with the other types of solutions:

• In a hypertonic solution, water flows out of the red blood cell, causing it to shrink.
• In an isotonic solution, there is no net movement of water, so the red blood cell retains its normal shape.

Therefore, the correct answer to which kind of solution might cause a red blood cell to burst is a hypotonic solution.