alleryStart learning →Why does a plant wilt when it is not watered for several days?
AThe cell walls dissolve into the soil
BThe central vacuoles lose their water
CThe chloroplasts stop making sugars
DThe plasma membranes seal themselves
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. The central vacuoles lose their water
1. The central vacuole regulates the cell's concentration of water as conditions change.
2. When the soil water concentration falls below that of the plant, water moves out of the central vacuoles and cytoplasm.
3. The central vacuole shrinks and leaves the cell wall unsupported.
4. Loss of support to the cell walls across the plant produces the wilted appearance.
5. The cause is water leaving the central vacuoles.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Cell Structure", section 4.3 Eukaryotic Cells_
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