The initial response of the root cells of a tomato plant watered with seawater would be to
A) rapidly produce organic solutes in the cytoplasm.
B) rapidly expand until the cells burst.
C) begin to plasmolyze as water is lost.
D) actively transport water from the cytoplasm into the vacuole.
E) actively absorb salts from the seawater.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When plant cells are watered with seawater, they will experience plasmolysis, which is the loss of water from the cytoplasm due to the high salt concentration of seawater. The root cells will start to shrink and lose their turgor pressure, causing them to detach from the root and ultimately lead to cell death. Therefore, the initial response of the root cells would be to start plasmolyzing as they lose water.

The Initial Response of the Root Cells of a Tomato