Crenation
Crenation
Crenation (pronunciation: /krɪˈneɪʃən/) is a process observed in biology, specifically in the field of cell biology.
Etymology
The term "crenation" is derived from the Latin word "crenatus," which means "notched" or "scalloped." This term is used to describe the appearance of cells that have undergone this process.
Definition
Crenation refers to the phenomenon where a cell shrinks and its surface appears notched or scalloped due to the loss of water through osmosis. This typically occurs when a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, causing the water inside the cell to flow out into the solution in an attempt to balance the concentration of solutes.
Related Terms
- Osmosis: The process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one.
- Hypertonic solution: A solution that has a higher concentration of solutes than another solution. In the context of crenation, the hypertonic solution is outside the cell.
- Hemolysis: The rupture or destruction of red blood cells, which can occur when these cells are placed in a hypotonic solution. This is the opposite of crenation.
- Isotonic solution: A solution that has the same concentration of solutes as another solution. In this case, there is no net movement of water, preventing crenation or hemolysis.
- Plasmolysis: The process in which cells lose water in a hypertonic solution. This is similar to crenation but is used to describe the phenomenon in plant cells.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Crenation
- Wikipedia's article - Crenation
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