Tonicity Review

Tonicity Review

By Emily Ortiz

The ability of a solution surrounding a cell to cause that cell to gain or lose water (also known as solvent).​

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What is Tonicity?

How is water able to move?

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​Tonicity, or the movement of water, is controlled by the concentrations and movement of solutes (stuff in water). The two types of solute movement are shown in the picture.

Multiple Choice

What is Osmosis?

• movement of solvent (water) across a semipermeable membrane from high to low solvent (water) concentration. Only solvents move.

• movement of molecules from high concentration to low concentration. Both solute and solvent move.

Multiple Choice

Is the image an example of osmosis or diffusion? (HINT: notice that solutes are moving)

• Osmosis

• Diffusion

Multiple Choice

Is the lab experiment we are doing class an example of diffusion or osmosis?

• Diffusion

• Osmosis

• Both

​A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes and more water than another solution. ​In the image above the solution (water) is hypotonic compared to the cell.

Hypotonic

​Isotonic solutions contain the same concentrations of solutes.

Isotonic

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​If a solution has a higher concentration of solute (less water)​ than another it is said to be hypertonic. In the image above, the solution (water) has a higher concentration of solute than the cell.

Hypertonic

Multiple Choice

Is the solution hypotonic, hypertonic, isotonic related to the cell?

• hypertonic

• hypotonic

• isotonic

Multiple Choice

Is the solution hypotonic, hypertonic, isotonic related to the cell?

• hypertonic

• hypotonic

• isotonic

Multiple Choice

Is the cell hypotonic, hypertonic, isotonic related to the solution?

• hypertonic

• hypotonic

• isotonic

Multiple Choice

Is the cell hypotonic, hypertonic, isotonic related to the solution?

• hypertonic

• hypotonic

• isotonic

When setting up the lab we used multiple types of solutes like vinegar and vanilla extract. Each of these solutes have a different water concentration. ​

Solute Water Concentration

Vinegar: 93-95% water

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Vanilla: 90-95% water

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Lime Juice:​ 60-80% water

Solute Water Concentration

Multiple Choice

Which solute has the lowest water concentration?

• vanilla

• vinegar

• lime juice

• control

Open Ended

Tell me how your experiments went! What did you see on the second day? What did you learn?