(a) Why does the plant cell, placed in a hypotonic solution, not burst ?
(b) What happens when a fully turgid plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution ? Name the phenomenon.

Explanation

(a) A plant cell, when placed in a hypotonic solution, receives water by osmosis. It does not burst because it is surrounded by a rigid cell wall which can withstand the turgor pressure of the turgid cell contents.
(b) When a fully turgid plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, the cytoplasm alongwith plasma membrane shrinks and separates from the cell wall as water flows out from the vacuole of the cell. This phenomenon is called plasmolysis.