The total solute concentration of a red blood cell is about 2%.Sucrose cannot pass through a red blood cell's plasma membrane,but water and urea can.Which of the following solutions will cause a red blood cell to shrink?
A)a hypertonic sucrose solution
B)a hypertonic urea solution
C)a hypotonic sucrose solution
D)a hypotonic urea solution

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A hypertonic solution has a higher solute concentration than the cell. In this case, a hypertonic sucrose solution would have a higher concentration of solutes than the red blood cell, and since sucrose cannot pass through the membrane, water will move out of the cell to try and balance the concentration, causing the cell to shrink. A hypotonic solution (choice C) has a lower solute concentration than the cell, so water would move into the cell causing it to swell and potentially burst. A hypertonic urea solution (choice B) would not cause the cell to shrink as it can pass through the membrane and would not create an imbalance in concentration. A hypotonic urea solution (choice D) would also cause the cell to swell as water would move into the cell to balance the lower solute concentration.

The Total Solute Concentration of a Red Blood Cell Is