Water potential of a cell is lowered by the

Options

A. addition of solutes
B. addition of water
C. increase in temperature
D. decrease in temperature

Answer

To solve the question regarding what lowers the water potential of a cell, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand Water Potential**: Water potential (Ψ) is a measure of the potential energy of water in a system. It determines the direction of water movement and is influenced by solute concentration and pressure.

2. **Identify Components of Water Potential**: Water potential is affected by two main factors:
- **Solute Potential (Ψs)**: The concentration of solutes in the water. More solutes lead to a lower (more negative) solute potential.
- **Pressure Potential (Ψp)**: The physical pressure on the water. This can be positive (turgor pressure in plant cells) or negative (tension in xylem).

3. **Analyze the Options**: The question provides several options for what lowers water potential:
- Addition of water
- Addition of solute
- Increase in temperature
- Decrease in temperature

4. **Evaluate Each Option**:
- **Addition of Water**: This would increase the water potential because it dilutes the solute concentration.
- **Addition of Solute**: This decreases the water potential because it increases the solute concentration, making the water potential more negative.
- **Increase in Temperature**: This generally increases the kinetic energy of water molecules but does not directly affect water potential.
- **Decrease in Temperature**: This may affect the movement of water but does not directly lower the water potential.

5. **Conclusion**: The only option that effectively lowers the water potential of a cell is the addition of solute. Therefore, the correct answer is **addition of solute**.

### Final Answer:
The water potential of a cell is lowered by the **addition of solute**.