Red blood cell in pure water: hypotonic, swells and bursts

An example figure from the Osmosis and Tonicity generator.

A red blood cell with a few gray NaCl particles inside, in a box of pure water full of blue water particles, with water arrows pointing into the cell, labeled Hypotonic solution, then an arrow to the same cell swollen and burst open, its membrane torn, labeled Bursts (lysed) — A red blood cell, 0.9% NaCl inside, put in pure water. The water outside is hypotonic to the cell, so water moves into it by osmosis, shown by the arrows. On the right the cell has swollen until its membrane tears and it bursts, called hemolysis or lysis.

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Answer key

The solution is hypotonic to the cell
Net water movement into the cell
The cell gains water, swells and bursts (lyses)

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