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Water passively moves from an area of high water concentration (the dilute water) to low water conc. (in cell) (i.e. down the water potential). This causes the cell to swell up and its contents to dilute. It eventually stops swelling when the water potential reaches zero i.e. when the tonicity of the environment = the tonicity inside the cell. If its membrane can't cope with the swelling it may eventually burst.

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What is a fibrous protein that gives shape to an RBC plasma membrane?

Spectrin is a fibrous protein that helps give shape to the red blood cell plasma membrane. It plays a critical role in maintaining the flexibility and stability of the membrane, allowing red blood cells to deform as needed to pass through narrow capillaries.


What cellular component would be responsible for the classic shape of a red blood cell?

The red blood cell's biconcave shape is primarily maintained by the flexible plasma membrane. The cytoskeleton, particularly the protein spectrin, plays a key role in supporting and stabilizing this unique shape under changing conditions.


What is the environment of a red blood cell when red blood cells are approximately 0.25 percent salt Red blood cells are placed in distilled water?

The distilled water is a hypotonic environment.


What happen if the white blood cell is put in distilled water?

If a white blood cell is placed in distilled water, water will enter the cell through osmosis. This will cause the cell to swell and eventually burst, leading to its destruction. The process is known as lysis.


Would osmosis have a higher concentration of water molecules distilled water or red blood cells?

Distilled water would have a higher concentration of water molecules compared to red blood cells. Red blood cells have solutes dissolved in them, so they have a lower concentration of water molecules relative to distilled water. This concentration gradient would result in osmosis moving water into the red blood cells to equalize the concentrations.

Related Questions

What causes the shape of a red blood cell?

Spectrin


What is spectrin and where is it found?

Spectrin is a cytoskeletal protein that plays a role in maintaining the structure and stability of cell membranes. It is commonly found in red blood cells, where it helps give the cells their characteristic biconcave shape and flexibility. Spectrin is also found in other types of cells, where it functions in cell shape, movement, and stability.


What is a fibrous protein that gives shape to an RBC plasma membrane?

Spectrin is a fibrous protein that helps give shape to the red blood cell plasma membrane. It plays a critical role in maintaining the flexibility and stability of the membrane, allowing red blood cells to deform as needed to pass through narrow capillaries.


What would be the effect on red cell volume if distilled water were administered intravenously?

Blood and blood cells contain certain amounts of various ions, meaning that distilled water would be highly hypotonic in comparison. The osmotic pressure would cause the water to enter red blood cells, causing them to swell and burst.


What cellular component would be responsible for the classic shape of a red blood cell?

The red blood cell's biconcave shape is primarily maintained by the flexible plasma membrane. The cytoskeleton, particularly the protein spectrin, plays a key role in supporting and stabilizing this unique shape under changing conditions.


What is the environment of a red blood cell when red blood cells are approximately 0.25 percent salt Red blood cells are placed in distilled water?

The distilled water is a hypotonic environment.


Which blood vessel is blood plasma the most hypertonic to distilled water?

hepatic portal vein


Brad placed a drop of blood in some distilled water. What happened in the red blood cells?

When Brad placed a drop of blood in distilled water, the red blood cells experienced a process called osmosis. Since the distilled water is hypotonic compared to the intracellular fluid of the red blood cells, water entered the cells, causing them to swell. If enough water enters, the cells may eventually burst in a process known as hemolysis.


Does Benadryl contain a blood thinner?

No, benadryl does not contain blood thinners


What blood do your arteries contain?

your arteries contain white blood cells and red blood cells.


What happen if the white blood cell is put in distilled water?

If a white blood cell is placed in distilled water, water will enter the cell through osmosis. This will cause the cell to swell and eventually burst, leading to its destruction. The process is known as lysis.


What would distilled water do to blood cells?

if you inject straight into your body you die!