Elodia and Saltwater

First of all, when I zoomed in, the cell membrane and the chemicals inside filled the cell. When I placed the saltwater next to the cover slip, I put the paper towel on the other side of the cover slip. Freshwater went out, and saltwater slowly went into the gaps. It retracts and white spots start to form. More water diffuses out of the elodea cells than the amount that diffuses in. Therefore, the inside of the elodea cells loses water, the cell contents shrink, and the plasma membranes pull away from the cell walls. As you can see in the last 7 seconds of the short clip, the place where the saltwater had affected the cells the most had cells that had turned into small balls. The process is called plasmolysis.However, the outer boundary of the cell did not collapse because of osmotic pressure, which is the pressure which needs to be applied a liquid before a cell wall or membrane collapses. Finally, when the freshwater was placed back in, the cells exploded, as the change of pressure was too rapid and fast for the cells to deal with, therefore resulting in chloroplast streaming, and the cell walls breaking.

1. What happens to the cells as the salt water flows under the cover slip?
It retracts and white spots start to form.

2. Why does this happen?
It happens as the salt water is depriving the cells of water and the cell is becoming dehydrated.

3. Why didn’t the outer boundary of the cell collapse?
The outer boundary of the cell did not collapse as the cell wall held it together.

4. Why do plants wilt when there is not enough water
When water in the plant is drawn out by osmotic pressure, the plant will wilt. Plants normally wilt without water because water normally helps in the transportation of nutrients and other important minerals from the soil to the plants. Then, the plant might not be able to photosynthesise or gain the minerals that it needs.