If a hypotonic solution surrounds a cell; water will ___.
Biology · Middle School · Mon Jan 18 2021
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When a cell is placed in a hypotonic environment, water will enter the cell, and the cell will swell.
In the case of a plant cell, however, a hypotonic extracellular solution is actually ideal. The plasma membrane can only expand to the limit of the rigid cell wall, so the cell won't burst, or lyse. In fact, the cytoplasm in plants is generally a bit hypertonic to the cellular environment, and water will enter a cell until its internal pressure—turgor pressure—prevents further influx.