When water moves into red blood cells placed in a hypotonic environment, they will _____.

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When considering what happens to red blood cells in a hypotonic environment, the key concept is osmotic balance.

Option 1: crenate. Crenation describes shrinkage of cells that occurs when they are placed in a hypertonic solution, where the surrounding fluid has a higher solute concentration than the inside of the cell. Since a hypotonic environment has a lower solute concentration outside the cell, water tends to enter rather than leave, so crenation would not occur here.

Option 2: swell and hemolyze. In a hypotonic solution, water moves down its concentration gradient into the cell. This influx causes the cell to swell, and if the osmotic pressure becomes excessive, the cell membrane may rupture, leading to hemolysis. This describes the expected outcome for red blood cells under hypotonic stress.

Option 3: remain unchanged. If the extracellular solution is hypotonic, the osmotic gradient drives water into the cell rather than keeping the cell unchanged. Therefore, remaining unchanged contradicts the fundamental effect of hypotonic environments on cells.

In summary, the hypotonic environment drives water into red blood cells, causing them to swell and potentially hemolyze; the other options reflect responses to hypertonic or isotonic conditions rather than hypotonic ones.

When water moves into red blood cells placed in a hypotonic environment, they will _____.

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