Pronunciation: [plazmˈɒləsˌɪs] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "plasmolysis" can be tricky due to the combination of consonants and vowels. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is written as /plæzməlaɪsɪs/. The "p" is silent, so the stress is on the "a". The "s" and "m" sounds blend together smoothly, and the "o" is pronounced as a short "uh" sound. The "l" and "s" sounds at the end can also run together, making it sound like "sis" instead of separate syllables.
Plasmolysis is a biological phenomenon that occurs in plant cells as a result of water loss due to osmosis. It refers to the process where the protoplasm of a plant cell shrinks and pulls away from the cell wall, leading to a collapse of the cell. This shrinkage occurs when a plant cell is placed in a hypotonic (lower concentration) solution, causing water to move out of the cell through osmosis.
During plasmolysis, the vacuoles within the cell lose water, resulting in a decrease in turgor pressure. As water leaves the cell, the plasma membrane detaches from the cell wall, causing the cytoplasm to contract and pull away from the cell wall. This can eventually lead to the cell becoming shriveled and losing its shape.
Plasmolysis serves as a defense mechanism for plants against excessive water loss and is also used as a technique in laboratory studies to study cellular structures and functions. Once the plant cell is returned to a normal isotonic (equal concentration) solution, it may regain its original shape and structure through the process of deplasmolysis.
Overall, plasmolysis is a phenomenon commonly observed in plant cells when exposed to a hypotonic solution, resulting in the shrinking of the protoplasm and detachment from the cell wall.
The shrinking or dissolution of the cell protoplasm; achromatolysis; leucolysis, erythrolysis.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "plasmolysis" is derived from two Greek words: "plasma" (πλάσμα) and "lysis" (λύσις).
- "Plasma" refers to the fluid portion of the cell cytoplasm, which contains various molecules, ions, and organelles.
- "Lysis" means the breaking down or dissolution of a structure.
Therefore, "plasmolysis" literally translates to the "dissolution or breakdown of the cell plasma". In biology, plasmolysis refers specifically to the shrinking or contraction of the protoplasm within a plant cell due to a loss of water through osmosis.
