Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Effect of Artificial Tear Formulations on the Metabolic Activity of Human Corneal Epithelial Cells after Exposure to Desiccation
Published on: May 2, 2020
Osmotic factors of dehardening in cornus Florida L
1American National Red Cross Blood Research Laboratory, Bethesda, Maryland 20014.
Abstract:
The killing temperature for cortical cells from the flowering dogwood changes abruptly from -25 C to -15 C during dehardening. Cell sap concentration, minimum critical cell volume, and osmotically inactive cell volume show a progressive change during dehardening, but only cell sap concentration is correlated directly with the killing temperature, showing the same step change. There is a limit to the extent to which hardy dogwood cells can be osmotically reduced in volume. Beyond this limiting volume, the extracellular osmotically can be increased without further volume reduction. Ultimately the cell succumbs, presumably to an osmotic pressure gradient. Nonhardy cells do not exhibit this resistance to shrinkage. The ability to resist volume reduction is probably a crucial factor in the freezing resistance of dogwood cortical cells.
Related Concept Videos
Tonicity in Plants
Tonicity
Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water depending on the solute...
Tonicity in Plants
Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Osmolarity
Responses to Salt Stress
Tonicity in Animals
Tonicity in Animals
