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Hypotonic - GCSE Biology Definition

Reviewed by: Cara Head

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What is hypotonic?

In GCSE biology a hypotonic solution is one with a lower concentration of solutes than another solution. It can also be described as being more dilute, having a higher water concentration, or as having a higher water potential.

Water will move by osmosis out of a hypotonic solution into a hypertonic solution. This occurs when a cell is placed into a highly concentrated sugar solution; the cell cytoplasm has a higher water concentration and so is hypotonic to the surrounding sugar solution, meaning that water will move out of the cell by osmosis.

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Cara Head

Reviewer: Cara Head

Expertise: Biology & Psychology Content Creator

Cara graduated from the University of Exeter in 2005 with a degree in Biological Sciences. She has fifteen years of experience teaching the Sciences at KS3 to KS5, and Psychology at A-Level. Cara has taught in a range of secondary schools across the South West of England before joining the team at SME. Cara is passionate about Biology and creating resources that bring the subject alive and deepen students' understanding

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