Question

A _____ environment tends to cause a cell to shrivel or collapse as water exits the cell.

a) Hypotonic
b) Hemotonic
c) Hypertonic
d) Isotonic

Answer 1

A hypertonic environment causes a cell to shrivel or collapse by drawing water out, due to a higher concentration of solutes outside the cell compared to the inside.

Step-by-step explanation:

An environment that causes a cell to shrivel or collapse as water exits the cell is a hypertonic solution. This occurs because the extracellular fluid has a higher concentration of solutes than the cell's cytoplasm, leading to a net movement of water out of the cell, causing it to shrink and shrivel. This process is known as crenation in animal cells and plasmolysis in plant cells.