Questions/Solutions/What happens to a re...
Osmosis & Osmotic PressureSolutions

What happens to a red blood cell when placed in a hypertonic solution (e.g., concentrated saline)?.

Expert Answer

It shrinks due to exosmosis (water flows out). The whole purpose of this is to achieve equilibrium, so water flows from dilute side to concentrated side to try bringing both concentrations to the same value.

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