Living animal cells, each with a salt concentration of 1%, are placed in a solution of 30% salt. Which of the following will occur?

A. The cells will neither shrink (lose water) nor swell (take in water) because the cytoplasm of cells is mostly water.

B. The cells will shrink (lose water) because the solution contains a lower water concentration than inside the cell.

C. The cells will shrink (lose water) because the solution contains a higher water concentration than inside the cell.

D. The cells will swell (take in water) because the solution contains a higher water concentration than inside the cell.

E. The cells will swell (take in water) because the solution contains a lower water concentration than inside the cell.

The correct answer is B. The cells will shrink (lose water) because the solution contains a lower water concentration than inside the cell.

Explanation:

If an animal cell having less solute concentration is placed in a solution having high solute concentration then after some time all the water present in the cell will be leaked into the solution and the animal cell will shrink.

This happens because water has a tendency to move from high concentration to low concentration and the solution outside the cell has a low concentration of water due to the high concentration of solute in it.

This type of solution is called hypertonic solution which has a high concentration of solute outside compared to inside of the cell and is responsible for shrinkage of the cell.