A novice gardener notices that many plants in his garden look wilted. What osmotic solution would you suggest the novice gardener use to best return the plants to full health?

Question

A.  Place the plants in a 15% solute solution so water can be actively transported out of the plant cells.
B.  Place the plants in a 5% solute solution so water can be actively transported out of the plant cells.
C.  Place the plants in a 5% solute solution so water can diffuse into the plant cells.
D.  Place the plants in a 15% solute solution so water can diffuse out of the plant cells.

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
· What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content · What do you know about water uptake in plants?What other information is related to the question?
 
Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
 
Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

C.  Place the plants in a 5% solute solution so water can diffuse into the plant cells.

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o The question asks about water uptake in plants.
· What type of thinking is required?
        o You are being asked to apply your knowledge about water uptake in plants.

Gather Content · What do you know about water uptake in plants?What other information is related to the question?
        o Water diffuses from a hypotonic region to a hypertonic region. Most plant cells are hypertonic to their immediate environment, containing a high concentration of solutes in their central vacuoles. The resulting internal hydrostatic pressure, known as turgor pressure, presses the plasma membrane firmly against the interior of the cell wall, making the cell rigid. Most green plants depend on turgor pressure to maintain their shape, and thus they wilt when they lack sufficient water.
 
Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        o If a plant is wilted it need to be placed in a hypotonic solution so that the inside of the plant is hypertonic. This will allow water to enter the plant and restore its shape. The correct answer is to place the plants in a 5% solution so that water will enter the plant cells.
 
Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        o This question asked you to apply your knowledge about water uptake in plants. If you got the correct answer, great job! If you got an incorrect answer, where did the process break down? Did you think that water moves from a hypertonic solution to a hypotonic solution? Did you think that a wilted plant needs to lose more water?