Question

If the concentration of solute increases in a cell, the water potential will ________ inside the cell and water will move ________ the cell.

a) Increase; into
b) Decrease; into
c) Increase; out of
d) Decrease; out of

Answer 1

If the concentration of solute increases in a cell, the water potential will decrease inside the cell, leading to water moving into the cell due to osmotic potential.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the concentration of solute increases in a cell, the water potential will decrease inside the cell and water will move into the cell. Therefore, the correct answer is b) Decrease; into. When solutes are added, they lower the water potential inside the cell, making it more negative due to the increase in solute concentration. This state results from the concept of osmotic potential, which relates to the tendency of water to move from a region of higher water potential (lower solute concentration) to a region of lower water potential (higher solute concentration).

For instance, in the case of a hypertonic solution, where the extracellular environment has a higher solute concentration than the cytoplasm, water will move out of the cell. Conversely, in a hypotonic solution, where the extracellular environment has a lower solute concentration, water will move into the cell, potentially causing it to swell and burst.