Suppose a plant cell is placed in a highly concentrated salt solution (hypertonic solution). Which of the following cellular changes will occur due to the movement of water?

Answer: C. Water will leave the cell, causing the cytoplasm and plasma membrane to shrink away from the rigid cell wall.

When a plant cell is placed in a highly concentrated salt solution (a hypertonic environment), water leaves the inside of the cell through a process called exosmosis to balance the concentration outside. Unlike animal cells, plant cells possess a rigid, tough cell wall that maintains its outer shape. As water drains out of the vacuole and cytoplasm, the inner plasma membrane shrinks and pulls away from the stiff cell wall. This specific biological phenomenon is called plasmolysis.

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