What does the term tonicity describe?
AHow an outside solution changes a cell's volume
BHow fast a solute diffuses through cytoplasm
CHow much ATP a cell spends on ion pumping
DHow thick the phospholipid bilayer becomes
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. How an outside solution changes a cell's volume
1. Tonicity describes how an extracellular solution can change the volume of a cell by affecting osmosis.
2. It works entirely through water movement, so it is a statement about cell volume rather than about solute traffic.
3. A solution's tonicity often directly correlates with the osmolarity of that solution.
4. ATP spending and membrane thickness are separate properties and neither is what tonicity measures.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Structure and Function of Plasma Membranes", section 5.2 Passive Transport_
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