A cell placed in extremely salty water, which is a hypertonic solution relative to the inside of the cell, will lose water by osmosis. Water inside the cell moves out to the surrounding salty water to balance the concentration difference, causing the cell to shrink and shrivel, a process known as crenation in animal cells or plasmolysis in plant cells. If the salt concentration is very high, this water loss can severely dehydrate the cell, potentially damaging or disrupting its functions. This effect occurs because the salt outside the cell creates a lower water concentration environment compared to the cytoplasm, thus driving water out of the cell to equalize solute concentrations across the cell membrane. The shrinking of the cell due to this water loss can lead to impaired cellular activities or even cell death if extreme.
