Osmosis affects 

plant and animal cells differently because plant and animal cells

can tolerate different concentrations of water. In a hypotonic solution, an animal
cell will fill with too much water and lyse, or burst open. However, plant cells
need more water than animal cells, and will not burst in a hypotonic solution due
to their thick cell walls; hypotonic solutions are ideal for plant cells. The optimal
condition for an animal cell is to be in an isotonic solution, with an equal amount
of water and solutes both inside and outside. When a plant cell is in an isotonic
solution, its cells are no longer turgid and full of water, and the leaves of the
plant will droop. In a hypertonic solution, water will rush out of both animal and
plant cells, and the cells will shrivel (in plants, this is called plasmolyzation). This
is why slugs and snails shrivel and die when salt is sprinkled onto them; water
leaves their cells in order to balance the higher concentration of salt outside the
cells.