activity to show plasmolysis and deplasmolysis
Answers
When a plant cell is immersed in concentrated salt solution (hypertonic solution), water from the cell sap moves out due to exosmosis. Exosmosis is the passage of water from higher water concentration to lower water concentration through a semipermeable membrane.
When a plant cell is placed in concentrated salt solution, water concentration inside the cell is greater than that which is outside the cell. Therefore, water moves through the cell membrane into the surrounding medium. Ultimately the protoplasm separate from the cell wall and assumes spherical shape. It is called plasmolysis.
When a plasmolysed cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, (i.e., the solution having solute concentration lower than the cell sap), the water moves into the cell because of the higher concentration of water outside the cell than in the cell. The cell then swells to become turgid. It is called deplasmolysis.
If we place living cells in isotonic solution (i.e., both solutions have the same amount of solute concentration), there is no net flow of water towards the inside or outside. Here, the water moves in and out of the cell and is in equilibrium, so the cells are said to be flaccid.