The Effects of Osmosis on Plant Cells

The following cells are from an Elodea plant that are in freshwater (a hypotonic solution). The greatest amount of water is outside the cell and diffuses in by osmosis. It keeps the plant very rigid. The cell wall prevents it from exploding / breaking / lysing. PLANTS LOVE HYPOTONIC SOLUTIONS!

Plants, however, do not like concentrated solutions that do not have as much water outside as they have inside their cells. Just look at this set of extremely "UNHAPPY" Elodea cells below in a concentrated salt (hypertonic) solution. Bummer. Look at how the cytoplasm has shrunk into a small "wad" in the center that is now non-functional.