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11 grade biology others

What happens if a de-shelled egg is kept in saline water?

Profile image of Aniket Singh
1 Year agoGrade
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Profile image of Askiitians Tutor Team
1 Year ago

When a de-shelled egg is placed in saline water (a solution of salt in water), the following process occurs:

Osmosis: Osmosis is the movement of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration.

Hypertonic Solution: Saline water is a hypertonic solution relative to the interior of the egg, meaning it has a higher concentration of solutes (salt) than the fluid inside the egg.

Water Movement: Due to osmosis, water will move out of the egg and into the saline solution. This movement of water out of the egg occurs because water molecules tend to move towards the higher concentration of solutes to achieve equilibrium.

Egg Shrinkage: As water leaves the egg, the egg will lose volume and appear to shrink. The egg's contents become more concentrated as water moves out.

In summary, placing a de-shelled egg in saline water will cause the egg to lose water and shrink due to osmosis.