AP Bio Tonicity and Water Potential

Front

What is tonicity?

Back

Tonicity refers to the ability of a surrounding solution to cause a cell to gain or lose water. It is determined by the concentration of solutes in the solution compared to the concentration of solutes inside the cell.

Front

Define hypertonic solution.

Back

A hypertonic solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell, leading to water moving out of the cell.

Front

Define hypotonic solution.

Back

A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell, causing water to move into the cell.

Front

Define isotonic solution.

Back

An isotonic solution has the same concentration of solutes as the inside of the cell, resulting in no net movement of water.

Front

What happens to a cell in a hypertonic solution?

Back

The cell will lose water and shrink as water moves out of the cell.

Front

What happens to a cell in a hypotonic solution?

Back

The cell will gain water and may swell or burst as water moves into the cell.

Front

What is water potential?

Back

Water potential is the potential energy of water in a system compared to pure water, measured in bars. It determines the direction of water movement.

Front

What are the two components of water potential?

Back

Water potential consists of solute potential (Ψs) and pressure potential (Ψp).

Front

How does solute concentration affect water potential?

Back

As solute concentration increases, solute potential (Ψs) becomes more negative, lowering the overall water potential (Ψ).

Front

What is the formula for calculating water potential?

Back