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| Plasmolysis |
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| If a plant cell is placed in a highly concentrated sugar or salt solution (i.e., hypertonic solution), water from the cell sap flows out due to exosmosis through the plasma membrane outside the cell. The loss of water from the cell sap causes contraction or shrinkage of the protoplast. Since the cell wall is firm and less elastic, it cannot keep pace with the contraction of plasma membrane. Ultimately the protoplasm separates from the cell wall and contracts or shrinks to a spherical shape. This condition is called plasmolysis. |
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| A. Normal Cell B. Incipient Plasmolysis C. A Plasmolysed Cell |
| Various Stages in Plasmolysis |
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| The stage of plasmolysis at which the first sign of shrinkage of cell contents from cell wall becomes detectable is called incipient plasmolysis. |
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| The stage when the cell wall has reached its limit of contraction and cytoplasm has detached from cell wall attaining spherical shape is called evident plasmolysis. |
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