If a plant cell has a lower water potential than its surroundingenvironment, and

Question

If a plant cell has a lower water potential than its surroundingenvironment, and if pressure is equal to 0, is the cell hypertonic(in terms of solute concentration) or hypotonic to its environment.Will the cell gain or lose water? Explain.

My answer was that the cell was hypotonic since it has lower waterpotential, which my book describes as lower free energy; fewerwater molecules. It would then gain water because the environmenthas a higher water potential, and water always moves from a higherto a lower water potential.

Is this answer right? I am not sure if it's hypertonic or hypotonicbut am pretty sure about the second question.

Explanation / Answer

Seeing as the cell has a lower water potential that would makeme believe that the solution it is surrounded by is hypertonic, ithas a higher concentration. Therefore the cell will have thewater pulled out of it to create isotonicity. The cell willcrenate (shrink) by the loss of its fluid to the surroundinghypertonic environment.

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