What will happen if a red blood cell is placed in sodium chloride solution?

Answer 1

Provided the concentration of salt is higher than the salt concentration in the red blood cell, the red blood cell, through the process of osmosis and the principal of diffusion, will shrink, as water flows from within the red blood cell to the solution.

Answer 2

It depends on the strength of the salt solution!

If the sodium chloride solution is weaker than the total strength of all the solutes (dissolved substances) in the cytoplasm of the red cell, then water will be attracted by osmosis into the cytoplasm. The cell, being an animal cell, has no wall, and will explode.

If the strength (osmotic pressure, OP) of the salt = the OP of the cell, there will be no net movement of water, and you will see no change under a microscope.

If the salt solution is stronger than the cytoplasm, water will leave the cell, which will shrivel.

At any time, and for any combination of solutions, the weaker solution is said to be hypotonic, the stronger hypertonic, and two the same are called isotonic.

Answer 3

The red blood cells would shrivel up. The fluids inside the cell would flood out and try to balance the level of salt concentration out side of the cells permeable membrane. ( called osmosis- the process is also refered to crenation once its shriveled up. )

Answer 4

If a red blood cell is placed in a sodium chloride solution, water will move out of the cell through the process of osmosis. This will cause the cell to shrink and potentially undergo hemolysis (bursting) if the concentration of sodium chloride is high enough.

Answer 5

It would shrivel up like a prune, loose most of its cytoplasm, and die.

Answer 6

I think that the red blood cell would completely dissolve in the salt

Answer 7

it would shrivel up

Answer 8

nothing really

Answer 9

it makes more white blood cells