Hypotonic Solutions

Hypotonic Solutions

 

in biology, various solutions that have an osmotic pressure lower than that of the cells of plant and animal tissues. In hypotonic solutions, cells absorb the fluid, expand, and lose part of their osmotic agents (organic and mineral substances). When placed in hypotonic solutions, erythrocytes in human and animal blood become distended to such a degree that their membranes burst, and they are destroyed. This phenomenon is called hemolysis.