An Elodea leaf cell is placed in a hypertonic solution relative to its cytoplasm. Which outcome best describes what will happen due to osmosis?

• A. The cell will actively pump water into the central vacuole to maintain turgor pressure.
• B. Water will leave the cell, causing the plasma membrane to pull away from the cell wall (plasmolysis).
• C. Solute will diffuse into the cell until the internal and external solute concentrations are equal, with no net water movement.
• D. Water will enter the cell, increasing turgor pressure until the cell swells.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of osmosis, which is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.
2. Step 2: Identify that a hypertonic solution has a higher solute concentration outside the Elodea leaf cell compared to the inside cytoplasm.
3. Step 3: Recognize that water will move out of the cell to balance the solute concentration difference, moving from inside the cell (lower solute concentration) to outside (higher solute concentration).
4. Step 4: Understand the consequence of water leaving the cell: the plasma membrane will shrink away from the cell wall, a process known as plasmolysis.
5. Step 5: Conclude that active pumping of water into the vacuole or solute diffusion into the cell does not occur in this passive osmosis process, and water will not enter the cell to increase turgor pressure in a hypertonic environment.