When cells are placed in hypotonic solutions, both animal and plant cells accumulate water as a result of osmosis. This causes the cells to swell. Why can plant cells better tolerate hypotonic solutions?

A. Animal cells can burst in such situations. But in plants, rigid cell walls limit how far cells can expand and exert a back pressure to limit further water uptake.
B. Plants have contractile vacuoles that continually bail out excess water that enters plant cells.
C. Sunlight causes plant cells to lose water through transpiration.
D. Stomata in plant cell leaves quickly drain excess water from the cells.


A. Animal cells can burst in such situations. But in plants, rigid cell walls limit how far cells can expand and exert a back pressure to limit further water uptake.

Biology & Microbiology

You might also like to view...

The addition of a phosphate group to a molecule is termed ____

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

Biology & Microbiology

List the characteristics of the following groups and identify examples for each: Archaea, Bacteria, and

Eukarya. What will be an ideal response?

Biology & Microbiology

Plasticity is most adaptive when the environment changes __________ throughout an organism's life.

a. rapidly and predictably b. slowly and predictably c. rapidly and unpredictably d. slowly and unpredictably e. I don't know the answer

Biology & Microbiology

The tracheal system of an insect is most like which of the following?

A) the exhaust system of an automobile B) the electrical wiring in a home C) the air duct system in a building D) leaves on a tree

Biology & Microbiology