Question

A dialysis tube containing a concentrated salt solution is placed in distilled water. Assuming the tubing is permeable to both water and salt, it will

a.
gain water by osmosis and lose salt by diffusion therefore undergoing plasmolysis


b.
gain water by osmosis and lose salt by diffusion therefore undergoing turgor


c.
lose salt and gain water by osmosis


d.
lose both salt and water by osmosis

Answer 1

Answer: (c) "lose salt and gain water by osmosis".

Step-by-step explanation:

When a dialysis tube containing a concentrated salt solution is placed in distilled water, the water molecules will move from the area of high water concentration (distilled water) to the area of low water concentration (concentrated salt solution) through the semi-permeable membrane of the dialysis tube. This process is known as osmosis.

Since the dialysis tube is permeable to both water and salt, the salt will also move from the area of high salt concentration (concentrated salt solution) to the area of low salt concentration (distilled water) through the semi-permeable membrane of the dialysis tube. This process is known as diffusion.

As a result, the dialysis tube will lose salt and gain water by osmosis. Therefore, the correct answer is option (c) "lose salt and gain water by osmosis".