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 move into RBCs by osmosis, leading to swelling and potentially causing the cells to burst (hemolysis).

Answer 1

When red blood cells (RBCs) are placed in a 0.5\% NaCl solution, which is hypotonic compared to the intracellular fluid, water moves into the RBCs by osmosis. This results in the cells swelling as water enters. If too much water accumulates, the RBCs may rupture, a process called hemolysis.