Cells of onion peel and RBC are separately kept in hypotonic solution, what among the following will take place? Explain the reason for your answer.
(a) Both the cells will swell.

(b) RBC will burst easily while cells of onion peel will resist the bursting to some extent.

(c) a and b both are correct

(d) RBC and onion peel cells will behave similarly.

Question

Cells of onion peel and RBC are separately kept in hypotonic solution, what among the following will take place? Explain the reason for your answer.
(a) Both the cells will swell.

(b) RBC will burst easily while cells of onion peel will resist the bursting to some extent.

(c) a and b both are correct

(d) RBC and onion peel cells will behave similarly.

Philoid · Accepted Answer

Hypotonic solution is the ones that have higher concentration of water as compared to the cells. When cells are placed in such solutions endosmosis occurs i.e. inward movement of water that causes swelling of cells and the RBCs burst easily because of being animal cells they lack cell wall, while the onion peel posses cell wall which makes it resistant to the bursting due to swelling cause by endosmosis.