Which term describes a cell environment with less solute concentration compared to the inside of the cell?

A cell environment with less solute concentration compared to the inside of the cell is described as hypotonic. When a solution is hypotonic relative to the inside of a cell, it has a lower concentration of solutes, which leads to a higher concentration of water compared to the cytoplasm of the cell.

When a cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, water moves into the cell in an attempt to balance the solute concentration on both sides of the cell membrane. This influx of water can cause the cell to swell and potentially burst if the difference in concentration is significant. Understanding this concept is crucial in biology, particularly when examining how cells interact with their environment and maintain homeostasis. The terms hypertonic and isotonic refer to different scenarios that contribute to understanding cellular behavior in various solutions, while isometric is not a term relevant to cell solution concentration.