plasmolysis

A student observes plasmolysis in a plant cell under a microscope.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Biological process: "plasmolysis" refers to the contraction or shrinkage of the protoplasm of a living cell away from its cell wall, occurring when the cell is placed in a hypertonic solution (one with a higher concentration of solutes than the cell's interior). This process results in the loss of water from the cell through osmosis.

Usage Examples

• (The cell shrinks due to water loss in a hypertonic environment.)
• (A visible contraction of the protoplasm.)
• (The cells lose water and shrink, leading to drooping.)

Advanced Usage

• "incipient plasmolysis": the initial stage of plasmolysis, where the protoplasm just begins to detach from the cell wall.
  • Incipient plasmolysis is used to determine the osmotic potential of a cell. (The point at which water loss begins to cause visible shrinkage.)
• "cytoplasmic plasmolysis": a more extreme form where the protoplasm shrinks significantly, often forming irregular shapes.
  • Severe cytoplasmic plasmolysis can damage the cell irreversibly. (The protoplasm contracts extensively.)

Variants and Related Words

• Plasmolytic (adj): relating to or characterized by plasmolysis.
  • The plasmolytic effect was evident after the cells were exposed to the hypertonic solution. (The cells showed shrinkage due to plasmolysis.)
• Plasmolyze (verb): to cause or undergo plasmolysis.
  • The high salt concentration will plasmolyze the plant cells. (The cells will shrink due to water loss.)

Synonyms

• Cell shrinkage: a general term for reduction in cell volume due to water loss.
• Protoplasmic contraction: the specific shrinking of the living material inside the cell.
• Osmotic shrinkage: shrinkage caused by osmotic water movement.

Related Idioms

• (No common idioms directly involve "plasmolysis," as it is a technical term in biology.)
• "To be plasmolyzed": a descriptive phrase used in scientific contexts to indicate a cell has undergone plasmolysis.
  • The red blood cells were plasmolyzed after being placed in a saline solution. (The cells shrank due to water loss.)

Phrasal Verbs

• (No phrasal verbs are associated with "plasmolysis," as it is a noun describing a process.)