WHEN A CELL IS PLACED IN SOLUTION AND THE SIZE OF THE CELL INCREASES, THE CONCENTRATION OF SOLUTION IS SAID TO BE

• A. isotonic
• B. dilute
• C. hypotonic ✓
• D. hypertonic

The answer to the question is: C. hypotonic

When a cell is placed in a solution and its size increases, the concentration of the solution is said to be hypotonic. In a hypotonic solution, the concentration of solutes outside the cell is lower than the concentration inside the cell. As a result, water moves into the cell through osmosis, causing it to swell and potentially burst if the imbalance is severe.

The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration is driven by osmotic pressure. When a cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, the higher concentration of solutes inside the cell creates an osmotic pressure that draws water into the cell, leading to an increase in its size.