Question

(b) (i) What do you expect to happen when red blood corpuscles (RBC's) are placed in 0.5\% NaCl solution?

Hint:

Hypotonic solutions cause water to flow into RBCs by osmosis, leading to swelling and potential bursting (hemolysis).

Answer 1

When red blood cells (RBCs) are placed in a 0.5\% NaCl solution, which is hypotonic relative to the intracellular fluid, water will move into the RBCs due to osmosis. This causes the cells to swell as water enters. If too much water enters, the RBCs may burst, a process known as hemolysis.