Which of the following can cause shrinkage of living cells?

Answer Details

A hypertonic solution can cause shrinkage of living cells. When a living cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, which is a solution with a higher concentration of solutes (such as salt or sugar) than the cell's cytoplasm, water molecules will move out of the cell through the process of osmosis. This is because water moves from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration. As a result, the cell loses water and can shrink or shrivel up, which is known as plasmolysis. In contrast, an isotonic solution has the same concentration of solutes as the cell's cytoplasm, so there is no net movement of water in or out of the cell. A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes than the cell's cytoplasm, causing water to move into the cell, potentially leading to swelling or bursting of the cell. Deionized water, which has had its ions removed, can also cause cells to swell or burst due to the lack of solutes.