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Are the fluid surroundings hypotonic, hypertonic, or isotonic relative to this cell’s cytoplasm?

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7. Water moves osmotically into a paramecium, a protistan of aquatic habitats. If unchecked, the influx will bloat the cell and then rupture its plasma membrane. A mechanism that requires energy involves contractile vacuoles to expel the excess. Water enter in the tube-like extensions of this organelle and collects in a central space in the vacuole. A filled vacuole contracts and squirts excess water out of a pore that opens to the outside. Are the fluid surroundings hypotonic, hypertonic, or isotonic relative to this cell’s cytoplasm?

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  1. hypo(lower concentration)


  2. Yes, tonicity is relative. You are comparing two solutions separated by a semi-permeable membrane.

  3. it depends on the salt  concentration inside the cell in relation to outside the cell or vice versa

    if there's more salt outside the cell than inside, the environment is hypertonic

    if there's more salt inside the cell than the outside environment, the environment is hypotonic

    if there's equal amounts of salt inside the cell and outside, it's isotonic

    so in your question the environment is hypertonic (has more salt than inside the cell) that's why water is being pumped out through a contractile vacuole

    edit: whoever gave me a thumbs down doesn't know sh*t

  4. Hypotonic.

    Water moves from the area more water (outside of the cell) to the are with less water (inside the cell). Therefore there are more solute inside the cell relative to its environment. This means that the cell's environment is hypotonic relative to cell's cytoplasm.

    Hypo means less, hyper means more and iso means the same. Hypotonic, hypertonic and isotonic are relative worlds and in osmosis, water moves from hypotonic side of the membrane towards the hypertonic side until both sides become isotonic.

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