Crenation is the contraction of cells within animals in a hypertonic solution, due to the loss of water through osmosis. The word is from the latin "crenatus" meaning scalloped or notched, and named for the scalloped-edged shape the cells take on when crenated. Drawing of the structure of cork as it appeared under the microscope to Robert Hooke from Micrographia which is the origin of the word cell. Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera Subregnum Eumetazoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Acoelomorpha Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Chaetognatha Xenoturbellida Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Nemertea Phoronida Ectoprocta Bryozoa... In biology, a hypertonic cell environment has a higher concentration of solutes than the cytoplasm. ... Osmosis is the net movement of water through a selective permeable membrane from a region of low solute potential to a region of high solute potential (or equivalently, from a region of high solvent potential to a region of low solvent potential). ...

Crenation occurs because in a hypertonic environment (that is, the cell has less solutes than the extracellular fluid does). Osmosis (the diffusion of water) causes a net movement of the water out of the cell, causing the cytoplasm to decrease in size. As a result, the cell also decreases in size. It has been suggested that Hyperosmotic be merged into this article or section. ... Osmosis is the net movement of water through a selective permeable membrane from a region of low solute potential to a region of high solute potential (or equivalently, from a region of high solvent potential to a region of low solvent potential). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Water is a chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life. ...

The effects of crenation are especially visible in red blood cells, as they become distorted in shape rather than maintaining the usual disc-like shape with the dimple that the blood cell normally has. Rather, the red blood cell looks as if it has legs extending from a smaller central area, like a spiked ball. Human red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and are the vertebrate bodys principal means of delivering oxygen to body tissues via the blood. ...

Plasmolysis is the term which describes plant cells when the cytoplasm shrinks from the cell wall in a hypertonic environment. Cytolysis is the term which describes the bursting of cells without cell walls in a hypotonic environment. Before Plasmolysis. ... Cytolysis is the lysis, or death, of cells due to the rupture of the cell membrane. ... A cell wall is a fairly rigid layer surrounding a cell located outside of the plasma membrane (also known, in some cases, as the cell membrane) that provides additional support and protection. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

See also

• Plasmolysis
• Osmosis
• Hypertonic
• Cytorrhysis
• Red blood cells

Before Plasmolysis. ... Osmosis is the net movement of water through a selective permeable membrane from a region of low solute potential to a region of high solute potential (or equivalently, from a region of high solvent potential to a region of low solvent potential). ... It has been suggested that Hyperosmotic be merged into this article or section. ... Cytorrhysis is the complete collapse of a plant cells cell wall within plants due to the loss of water through osmosis. ... Human red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and are the vertebrate bodys principal means of delivering oxygen to body tissues via the blood. ...

External link

• Image from Cornell.edu