How Does Salt Solution Impact Cell Size?

What happens to a cell when placed in a salt solution?

Choose the best answer:

A. The cell expands due to the influx of salt

B. The cell remains the same size

C. The cell shrinks as water moves out

D. The cell multiplies rapidly

Answer:

The cell shrinks as water moves out

Explanation:

When a cell is placed in a salt solution, it shrinks due to a process called exosmosis. The salt solution is hypertonic, meaning it has a higher concentration of solutes (e.g., salt) compared to the cell's cytoplasm. As a result, water flows out from the cell to the salt solution to balance the concentration, following a concentration gradient.

This movement of water from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration through a semipermeable membrane (cell membrane) is known as osmosis. The loss of water leads to the shrinking or crenation of the cell, a process called plasmolysis. This occurs as the cell membrane contracts and detaches from the cell wall, reducing the cell's overall size.

Organisms with a rigid cell wall, like bacteria, fungi, and plants, are better prepared for this change but still experience a loss in turgor pressure, leading to wilting. Salt is often used in food preservation because high salt concentrations can inhibit the growth of microorganisms by inducing plasmolysis.