Elodea is a freshwater aquatic plant that is often used as aquarium vegetation. What would happen to an Elodea plant that was immersed in a saltwater aquarium?
A) The cells of the plant would burst as water from the aquarium moved into the plant.
B) The cells of the plant would shrink as water from the plant moved into the aquarium.
C) The solution inside each cell would get salty as the saltwater moved into the plant.
D) The saltwater would not affect the plant in any way.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Elodea is adapted to live and grow in freshwater environments. If it was immersed in saltwater, the concentration gradient between the inside of the plant cells and the surrounding saltwater would cause osmosis to occur, resulting in water moving out of the plant cells and into the more concentrated saltwater. As a result, the cells of the Elodea plant would shrink.

Elodea Is a Freshwater Aquatic Plant That Is Often Used