Cell Biology Interview Question:

How does the plant cell wall react when it is placed under hypotonic medium?

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The plant cell wall (the covering of the cell external to the cell membrane) is made of cellulose, a polymer of glucose.

When the cell is put under hypotonic medium it absorbs too much water through osmosis. In that situation the cell wall pressure acts to compensate the osmotic pressure thus forbiding excessive increase of the cellular volume and the cell lysis.
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