A student is planning an investigation to determine how the concentration of a solute in a solution affects osmosis and therefore cells. The student uses rat blood cells, which have an salt concentration of 0.9% when they are in homeostasis. The steps of the student's investigation are described below.
1. Place a drop of blood on a microscope slide
2 View the blood under high magnification Record observations of the general shape and appearance of the blood cells.
3. Place a drop of 0.9% salt solution on the slide. Ensure it mixes with the blood sample
4. Wait several minutes, and then view the slide under high magnification Record any observations
5. Using new blood samples, repeat the two steps above using distilled water and 15% salt solution instead of the 0.9% salt solution
Which of the following is the BEST hypothesis for the student's investigation?
A. The cells will stay the same size in the 0.9% salt solution, swell in distilled water, and shrink in the 15% salt solution
B. The cells will shrink in distilled water, stay the same size in the 0.9% salt solution, and swell in the 15% salt solution
C. The cells will swell in the distilled water and in the 15% salt solution, but they will stay the same size in the 0.9% salt solution.
D. The cells will stay the same size in distilled water and in the 0.9% salt solution, but they will swell in the 15% salt solution