Figure 5.3: Osmosis Can Modify the Shapes of Cells (A) In a solution that is hypertonic to the cytoplasm of a plant or animal cell, water flows out of the cell. (B) In a solution that is isotonic with the cytoplasm, the cell maintains a consistent, characteristic shape because there is no net movement of water into or out of the cell. (C) In a solution that is hypotonic to the cytoplasm, water enters the cell. An animal cell will swell and may burst under these conditions; a plant cell will not swell too much because of its rigid cell wall.