Question

If you fertilize your houseplant too often, you may find that it looks wilted even when the soil is wet. Explain what has happened in terms of water potential?

Answer 1

Water moved out of the cells of the houseplant into the extracellular solution because they (plant cells) have a high water potential (Ψ) than the extracellular environment.

Please find the explanation below

Explanation:

In biology, water potential, denoted by Ψ, refers to the ability of water to move freely in a system. Based on this definition, a hypertonic solution (solution with higher solute concentration) will have a low Ψ while a hypotonic solution (solution with low solute concentration) will have a high Ψ.

According to this question, if a houseplant is fertilized too often, it will increase the concentration of solute in the soil (extracellular environment of the plant cells) i.e. the fertilizer will make the extracellular solution HYPERTONIC. Because the cells of the houseplant are hypotonic to the soil solution i.e. now has a high Ψ in comparison with the soil solution, water will move from the cells of the plant to the soil solution (extracellular) via the cell membrane (semi-permeable membrane) in a process called OSMOSIS.

NOTE: Water moves from a solution with high Ψ to a solution with low Ψ. This is what propels the movement of water from the cell with a high water potential to the exterior of the cell with a low water potential (caused by frequent addition of fertilizer). Overall, the houseplant will look WILTED even if the soil is wet.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

Water moved out of the cells of the houseplant into the extracellular solution because they (plant cells) have a high water potential (Ψ) than the extracellular environment.

Please find the explanation below

Step-by-step explanation:

In biology, water potential, denoted by Ψ, refers to the ability of water to move freely in a system. Based on this definition, a hypertonic solution (solution with higher solute concentration) will have a low Ψ while a hypotonic solution (solution with low solute concentration) will have a high Ψ.

According to this question, if a houseplant is fertilized too often, it will increase the concentration of solute in the soil (extracellular environment of the plant cells) i.e. the fertilizer will make the extracellular solution HYPERTONIC. Because the cells of the houseplant are hypotonic to the soil solution i.e. now has a high Ψ in comparison with the soil solution, water will move from the cells of the plant to the soil solution (extracellular) via the cell membrane (semi-permeable membrane) in a process called OSMOSIS.

NOTE: Water moves from a solution with high Ψ to a solution with low Ψ. This is what propels the movement of water from the cell with a high water potential to the exterior of the cell with a low water potential (caused by frequent addition of fertilizer). Overall, the houseplant will look WILTED even if the soil is wet.