The process by which a red blood cell placed in distilled water absorbs water until it burst and releases its contents into the surrounding is known as

Assessment: JAMB UTME - Biology - 1994 Subject: Biology

Question 1 Report

The process by which a red blood cell placed in distilled water absorbs water until it burst and releases its contents into the surrounding is known as
Answer Details
The process by which a red blood cell placed in distilled water absorbs water until it bursts and releases its contents into the surrounding solution is known as haemolysis. When a red blood cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, such as distilled water, water molecules move into the cell by the process of osmosis. This causes the cell to swell and become more turgid, which means that it is under increased pressure from the internal water content. If this pressure becomes too great, the cell membrane can rupture, releasing the cell contents into the surrounding solution. This process is known as haemolysis. Plasmolysis, on the other hand, is the opposite process that occurs when a plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution. In this case, water moves out of the cell by osmosis, causing the cell to shrink and the cell membrane to pull away from the cell wall. Turgidity is a term used to describe the state of being swollen and firm due to internal water pressure. This term can be used to describe both plant and animal cells, but it does not specifically refer to the process of haemolysis. Based on the given options, the best answer for the process described is haemolysis, as it specifically refers to the bursting of a red blood cell due to the influx of water.

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