Draw a plant cell in pure water. Add dots to indicate solutes inside the cell. Now add more dots to indicate an increase in solute potential inside the cell. Add an arrow showing the net direction of water movement in response. Add arrows showing the direction of wall pressure and turgor pressure in response to water movement. Repeat the same exercise, but this time, add solutes to the solution outside the cell at a concentration that is greater than inside the cell.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Draw a simple outline of a plant cell, including the cell wall, cell membrane, and vacuole. Inside the cell, add dots to represent solutes, which are concentrated in the vacuole.
2. Since the cell is in pure water (hypotonic solution), the solute potential inside the cell is lower than outside. Add an arrow pointing inward from the surrounding water to the cell, indicating the net movement of water into the cell due to osmosis.
3. Draw arrows from the cell membrane to the cell wall to represent wall pressure, which is the force exerted by the cell wall against the expanding cell. Also, draw an arrow outward from the center of the cell to represent turgor pressure, which is the pressure of the cell contents against the cell wall.
4. Now, redraw the plant cell with the same internal solutes. Add additional dots outside the cell to represent a hypertonic solution, where the solute concentration is higher outside the cell than inside.
5. In this scenario, add an arrow pointing outward from the cell to the surrounding solution, indicating the net movement of water out of the cell. Redraw the arrows for wall pressure and turgor pressure: the wall pressure arrow should be smaller due to less expansion, and the turgor pressure arrow should also be smaller or absent if the cell becomes plasmolyzed.

Key Concepts

Osmosis

Osmosis is the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. This process is crucial for maintaining cell turgor and overall homeostasis in plant cells. In the context of the question, understanding osmosis helps explain how water moves in response to solute concentrations inside and outside the cell.

Turgor Pressure

Turgor pressure is the pressure exerted by the fluid (usually water) inside the central vacuole of a plant cell against the cell wall. This pressure is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of the plant and allows it to remain upright. In the scenario described, turgor pressure increases as water enters the cell, which is indicated by arrows showing its direction in response to osmotic changes.

Solute Potential

Solute potential, also known as osmotic potential, is a measure of the tendency of water to move into a solution due to the presence of solutes. It is a key factor in determining the direction of water movement during osmosis. In the question, an increase in solute potential inside the cell indicates a higher concentration of solutes, which influences the net movement of water and the resulting pressure dynamics.