OSMOSIS AND ANIMAL CELLS

- Animal cells in an isotonic solution
Water will move in and out through the cell at the same rate (volume remains the same). Seawater has the same concentration as the cytoplasm of many animals that live in the sea. The cells of most land animals are surrounded by tissue fluid that has the same concentration as the cells. In the same way, one of the functions of the kidneys is to ensure that plasma, the liquid portion of out blood, has the same concentration as our blood cells.

-Animal cells in a hypotonic solution
Gains water due to osmosis. The cell will enlarge and may burst and die. Amoeba --> contractile vacuole. Amoeba species that live in seawater do not have contractile vacuoles. This is because the seawater has the same concentration as their cells (isotonic)

-Animal cells in a hypertonic solution
Water moves out of the cell into the external environment causing the cell to shrivel and die (crenation)

	Created by eimearkelly3 over 11 years ago

leaving cert biology notes - diffusion and osmosis