Despite the cell membrane's selectivity, it cannot regulate all exchanges of materials, including, most importantly, the exchange of water. In what type of solution will a cell neither gain nor lose water because of osmosis?
Because the cell membrane cannot control the effects of osmotic pressure, in a hypertonic solution, cells lose water and shrink while in a hypotonic solution cells gain water and swell. Only in a isotonic solution will a cell neither gain nor lose water because of osmosis.
