A single-celled freshwater organism, such as a protistan, is transferred to salt water. What is likely to happen?
A)The cell will burst.
B)Salt will be pumped out of the cell.
C)The cell will shrink.
D)Enzymes will flow out of the cell.
E)Water will move into the cell.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a cell is transferred from freshwater to saltwater, the water outside of the cell becomes hypertonic (having a higher concentration of solutes) than the water inside the cell, which is hypotonic (having a lower concentration of solutes). As a result, water will move out of the cell through osmosis, causing it to shrink.

A Single-Celled Freshwater Organism, Such as a Protistan, Is Transferred