In which of the two eels below will the solute potential be the most negative? W
ID: 88902 • Letter: I
Question
In which of the two eels below will the solute potential be the most negative? Why? (Note that the blue dots represent solutes). If the concentration gradient is such that water will tend to move into the cell (e.g. there is an osmotic potential drawing water into the cell) what will ultimately stop water from continuing to flow into the eel? How is this different than in an animal cell? If a plant goes too long without water, it will start to wilt. Use the concept of osmotic and pressure potential (which together make up water potential) to construct an explanation for what is happening when the plant wilts. You can draw pictures to help you explain what is happening.Explanation / Answer
1) The solute potential also called as osmotic potential is defined as the pressure that must be applied to the solution to prevent the inward flow of water across a semi-permeable membrane. It is a measure of potential of water to move from hypotonic solution to hypertonic solution. Solute potential is a component of water potential and it is always negative value as solutes lower the water potential of the system. The solute potential or the osmotic potential decreases with increase in solute concentration. Therefore, the solute potential will be the most negative in the first diagram which has less number of solute molecules.