A red blood cell and a plant cell are placed in distilled water. The red blood cell bursts but the plant cell does not. What explains the difference?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. The plant cell has a cell wall that resists swelling
- Step 1: Water enters both cells by osmosis.
- Step 2: The red blood cell has no wall, so it swells and bursts, but the cellulose wall holds the plant cell turgid.
Answer
The plant cell has a cell wall that resists swelling.
Why not the others: The plant cell has no membrane for water to cross: all cells have a membrane. The red blood cell has a cell wall that is too weak: animal cells have no cell wall. Water cannot enter the plant cell through its wall: water enters both cells by osmosis.
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