Here's why:
* Osmosis: Water moves from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration across a semi-permeable membrane (like the cell membrane).
* Cell Concentration: Cells are typically around 70% water, meaning they have a higher concentration of water than their surroundings.
* Hypotonic Solution: When a cell is placed in a solution with a lower concentration of solutes (and therefore a higher concentration of water) than the cell's interior, the solution is considered hypotonic. Water will move from the solution into the cell to try and equalize the concentrations.
Example: A cell in pure water (which has no solutes) would be considered in a hypotonic environment.
Let me know if you have any more questions!