Osmolarity

What is osmolarity

A measure of solute concentration (osmol/L) in a given system. A system can be a Petri dish, a cell, an organism, etc.

Define hypotonic solution

Low osmolarity or low solute concentration, meaning that the system loses water

Define hypertonic solution

High osmolarity or high solute concentration, meaning that the system will gain water

What happens to a potato cube in a hypotonic solution?

• The bath is hypotonic compared to the potato

• Water moves from the bath into the potato

• The potato swells

What happens to a potato cube in a hypertonic solution

• The bath is hypertonic compared to the potato

• Water moves from the potato into the bath

• The potato shrinks

In osmosis, which direction does water move?

Water moves from where there is more of it to where there is less of it (or from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration)

How does the ratio of solutes to water change in a potato placed in a hypertonic solution

The ratio of solute to water in the potato will increase as water leaves the potato

What happens to the osmolarities of the potato and solution in a hypertonic environment over time

The osmolarities will eventually become balanced as water moves out of the potato