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WingKay
Guest
Hi, I'm a freshman in Honors Biology and there is a question from our work packet that stumps me on end...
The cell membrane of red blood cells is permeable to water but not to sodium chloride, NaCl. Suppose that you have three flasks:
~Flask X contains a solution that is 0.5 percent NaCl.
~Flask Y contains a solution that is 0.9 percent NaCl.
~Flask Z contains a solution that is 1.5 percent NaCl.
To each flask, you add red blood cells, which contain a solution that is 0.9 percent NaCl.
Predict what will happen to the red blood cells in Flask X, Flask Y, and Flask Z.
Thank you so much! I heard something about the cells exploding or shriveling but I don't get at all what happens! Thanks again!
The cell membrane of red blood cells is permeable to water but not to sodium chloride, NaCl. Suppose that you have three flasks:
~Flask X contains a solution that is 0.5 percent NaCl.
~Flask Y contains a solution that is 0.9 percent NaCl.
~Flask Z contains a solution that is 1.5 percent NaCl.
To each flask, you add red blood cells, which contain a solution that is 0.9 percent NaCl.
Predict what will happen to the red blood cells in Flask X, Flask Y, and Flask Z.
Thank you so much! I heard something about the cells exploding or shriveling but I don't get at all what happens! Thanks again!