An animal cell placed in a hypertonic solution will shrink in a process called crenation. An animal cell placed in a hypotonic solution will swell and potentially burst in a process called hemolysis. To prevent crenation or hemolysis, an animal cell must be placed in an isotonic solution such as 0.9% (m/v) NaCl or 5.0% (m/v) glucose. This does not mean that a cell has a 5.0% (m/v) glucose concentration; it just means that 5.0% (m/v) glucose will exert the same osmotic pressure as the solution inside the cell, which contains several different solutes. Hint : A 5.0% (m/v) glucose solution will exert the same osmotic pressure as a red blood cell. Also, a 0.9% (m/v) NaCl solution will exert the same osmotic pressure as a red blood cell. This means that any solution with a higher total solute concentration than either of these isotonic solutions will be hypertonic to the cell. Conversely, any solution with a lower total solute concentration than an isotonic solution will be hypotonic to the cell. A red blood cell is placed into each of the following solutions. Indicate whether crenation, hemolysis, or neither will occur.
