Answer: the cell shrinks or swells depends on the relative concentration of solutes inside the cell compared to the solution in Beaker 4.
Explanation:seems like you're referring to a scenario where substances are moving across a semi-permeable membrane, such as in osmosis.
If Beaker 4 contains a solution that is hypertonic to the cell, meaning it has a higher concentration of solutes than the cell's cytoplasm, then there will be a net movement of water out of the cell. Water moves from areas of lower solute concentration to areas of higher solute concentration, so in this case, it moves from the cell into Beaker 4. This process is called crenation, and the cell would shrink.
Conversely, if Beaker 4 contains a solution that is hypotonic to the cell, meaning it has a lower concentration of solutes than the cell's cytoplasm, then there will be a net movement of water into the cell. This would cause the cell to swell, possibly even leading to bursting, a process called lysis.
So, whether the cell shrinks or swells depends on the relative concentration of solutes inside the cell compared to the solution in Beaker 4.
