Question

Imagine an artificial cell made with a selectively permeable membrane that allows water to pass through but does not allow sugar to pass. if the artificial cell contains a 1% sugar solution and then you place the cell in a 2% sugar solution, what happens?'

Answer 1

The cell would shrivel. This is due to the fact that it would lose water to the surrounding 2% sugar solution through osmosis. The surrounding sugar solution is more concentrated hence hypertonic compared to the cell solution of 1%. Water, in osmosis, moves from a hypotonic solution to a hypertonic solution, through a semipermiable, until an isotonic balance is achieved.