When a plant cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, what occurs?

When a plant cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, it experiences an influx of water due to the concentration gradient between the inside of the cell and the surrounding solution. A hypotonic solution has a lower solute concentration compared to the interior of the plant cell. As water moves into the cell to equalize solute concentrations, the cell begins to swell.

In plant cells, the presence of a rigid cell wall allows the cell to withstand this increase in internal pressure without bursting. Instead, the water uptake causes the cell to become turgid, which is a healthy and desirable state for plant cells. Turgidity helps maintain structural integrity and supports plant tissues. Thus, the correct understanding is that upon exposure to a hypotonic solution, the plant cell takes up water and swells.