Final answer:
Hereditary spherocytosis leads to increased osmotic fragility in red blood cells since these misshapen cells are more likely to rupture in hypotonic solutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The condition hereditary spherocytosis typically results in increased osmotic fragility of red blood cells (RBCs). In this genetic disorder, RBCs are misshapen into more spherical forms and lack the elasticity of normal cells, making them more prone to rupture when placed in hypotonic solutions (which have lower osmotic pressure than the intracellular fluid). Standard testing for osmotic fragility exposes RBCs to varying concentrations of a hypotonic saline solution; spherocytes demonstrate an increased tendency to hemolyze in such solutions compared to healthy cells. This means that the red blood cells are more likely to burst or rupture when exposed to a hypotonic solution (a solution with lower solute concentration than the cell).