Osmosis and Water Potential in Plant Cells

Steps:

• Well-watered plant cells start turgid with water potential Ψ_cell (typically negative, e.g., -0.5 MPa).
• Water moves from higher to lower water potential: if solution Ψ > Ψ_cell, water enters, causing turgidity.
• If solution Ψ < Ψ_cell, water exits, shrinking cytoplasm and causing plasmolysis.
• Solutions have different Ψ values; states depend on comparison to Ψ_cell (assume order: solution 1 Ψ > Ψ_cell, solution 2 Ψ < Ψ_cell, solution 3 Ψ > Ψ_cell).

Why B is correct:

• Matches osmosis principle: turgid in higher-Ψ solutions (water influx), plasmolysed in lower-Ψ solution (water efflux), per water potential gradient (Ψ_solution - Ψ_cell drives flow).

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Incorrectly shows plasmolysis in high-Ψ solutions where water should enter.
• C: Wrongly predicts plasmolysis in two solutions, ignoring turgidity in higher-Ψ ones.
• D: Duplicate of B, but listed separately; not distinct.

Final answer: B