ANIMAL AND PLANT CELLS IN AN ISOTONIC SOLUTION A solution is a hamogenous moixture of two or more substances, namely solvent and

d solute. (solvent is a substance in which other substance called solute is dissolved) All cells contain a solution of salts and other solutes. Plants - the solutes located in the vacuole. - has a cellulose cell wall which envelops the plasma membrane. - the cell wall is fully permeable to solutes and water. Cell is surrounded by interstitial fluid. Hence, cells are subjected to osmosis and the movement of water across the membrane depends on the concentration of water in the fluid which bathes the cell. Waters always flows in the direction hat tends to equal the water concentration on both sides of the cell. - because cells need to be in a constant environment, the interstitial fluid surrounding animal cells is usually isotonic to the cytoplamic fluid. - (an isotonic environment is when the solution outside the cell is as concentrated as the cytoplasm of the cell. There is not net movement of water or any change in cell volume) - An isotonic solution = a solution in which solute concentration is equal to that of the cytoplasmic fluid. Water diffuses into and out of the cell at equal rates. (no net movement of water across the plasma membrane. (The cell retains its normal shape) Human cells are isotonic to a 0.9% saline solution (or salt water) Plant cell placed in an isotonic solution retains its normal shape.