Multiple choice

If a bacterial cell treated with an antibiotic penicillin is placed in a hypotonic solution, it undergoes

  1. no change

  2. osmotic lysis

  3. plasmolysis

  4. group translocation

  5. cytoplasmic streaming
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The antibiotic penicillin removes the cell wall of the cell and water enters the cell by osmosis. The cell is devoid of cell wall, and therefore cannot constrain the swelling of the plasma membrane and it bursts. This is an example of osmotic lysis. This happens when the cell is placed in a hypotonic solution.

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