Study of Plasmolysis

Plasmolysis is the process of shrinkage or contraction of the protoplasm of a plant cell as a result of loss of water from the cell. Plasmolysis is one of the results of osmosis and occurs very rarely in nature, but it happens in some extreme conditions. We can induce plasmolysis in the laboratory by immersing living cell in a strong salt solution or sugar solution to lose water from the cell. Normally people use Rheo or Tradescantia plant epidermal cell for experiment because they have coloured cell sap which can be clearly visible.

This video explains how to demonstrate plasmolysis in peels of Rhoeo plant in hypotonic and hypertonic solutions using salt solution.