Osmosis and Its Effects on Fiddler Crabs
What effect will placing a family of fiddler crabs from a saltwater aquarium into distilled water have on the crabs and their cells if left too long?
a. The crabs' cells will swell and burst.
b. The crabs' cells will remain unchanged.
c. The crabs will thrive in the distilled water.
d. The crabs will adapt to the new environment.
Final answer:
The fiddler crabs' cells will uptake water in an effort to balance the concentration of solutes due to being in a hypotonic environment (distilled water). This flow of water into the cells will cause them to swell and potentially burst if they are left in this environment for too long.
Explanation:
Elise placing a family of fiddler crabs from a saltwater aquarium into a container of distilled water will have a significant impact on the crabs and their cells due to a process known as osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.
In this case, the crabs' cells are adapted for a saltwater environment, meaning the distilled water is hypotonic (has less solutes) compared to the cells. As a result, water will flow into the crabs' cells, causing them to swell in an attempt to balance the concentration of solutes. If this continues for too long, it leads to lysis, or the bursting of the cells.
Therefore, the correct answer to your question is a: 'The crabs' cells will swell and burst' if they are left in distilled water for too long.