What would happen if a normal cell were placed in a beaker of pure water?

Question

What would happen if a normal cell were placed in a beaker of pure water?

A. Water would flow out of the cell.

B. The cell would use active transport to pump out the extra ions.

C. Transport proteins would bring water into the cell.

D. Water would diffuse into the cell.

E. The cell would divide into two.

F. I'm not sure.

Answer 1

D - via osmosis.

HOWEVER... water will kill many cell types, such as RBCs, so the question isn't very practical.

Answer 2

Osmosis... there are no salts in the water, there are salts in the cell.  So the osmotic pressure (tendency to equilibrate salt concentration) would cause more water to enter the cell, to dilute the salts (and I'm assuming the membrane is impermeable to the salts.  D.

Answer 3

D. Water would diffuse into the cell because there is more water outside the cell than inside, causing the water to travel to a place where it is less concentrated.