What characterizes a hypertonic solution?

A hypertonic solution is characterized by having a higher concentration of solute particles compared to another solution, typically in reference to a cellular environment. When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, the outside solution has more solute particles (such as salts or sugars) than the fluid inside the cell. This causes water to move out of the cell to balance the concentration difference, leading to cell shrinkage or crenation.

The concept of tonicity is crucial in understanding cellular behavior when exposed to different solutions. In contrast, isotonic solutions have equal concentrations of solute particles, and hypotonic solutions have fewer solute particles than the cell, which would result in water moving into the cell and potentially leading to swelling or bursting. Non-soluble substances, while they may contribute to the properties of a solution, do not fundamentally define what a hypertonic solution is based on solute concentration.

Thus, the defining characteristic of a hypertonic solution is that it contains more solute particles compared to the inside of the cell or the reference solution, leading to osmotic effects on the cell.