A cell placed into a hypotonic solution will swell and expand until it eventually burst through a process known as cytolysis. These three examples of different solute concentrations provide an illustration of the spectrum of water movement based on solute concentration through the process of osmosis.

How does hypotonic affect osmosis?

The ability of an extracellular solution to make water move into or out of a cell by osmosis is known as its tonicity. ... If a cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, there will be a net flow of water into the cell, and the cell will gain volume.

What causes osmosis?

Osmosis occurs according to the concentration gradient of water across the membrane, which is inversely proportional to the concentration of solutes. ... Osmosis occurs when there is a concentration gradient of a solute within a solution, but the membrane does not allow diffusion of the solute.