If a cell has a normal osmotic pressure of 4500 mmHg and is placed into a solution with an osmotic pressure of 3500 mmHg, what will happen to the cell?

Question

A.  The cell will lose water and its osmotic pressure will decrease.
B.  The cell will gain water and its osmotic pressure will decrease.
C.  The cell will gain water and its osmotic pressure will increase.
D.  The cell will lose water and its osmotic pressure will increase.

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

  Gather Content
· What do you know about how a cell responds to differences in osmotic pressure? 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

A.  The cell will lose water and its osmotic pressure will decrease.

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o The question asks about how a cell responds to differences in osmotic pressure.
· What type of thinking is required?
        o You are being asked to apply your knowledge about how a cell responds to differences in osmotic pressure.

  Gather Content
· What do you know about how a cell responds to differences in osmotic pressure? What other information is related to the question?
        o Water moves from an area of high pressure to low pressure. This will occur until the pressure in both regions is equal.

  Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        o If the inside of the cell is 4500 mmHg and the surrounding fluid was 3500 mmHg then water would leave the cell until it also reached a pressure of 3500 mmHg. Thus the pressure inside the cell would decrease.

  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 how a cell responds to differences in osmotic pressure. 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 would move from low pressure to high pressure? Did you think that a cell losing water would experience an increase in pressure?