Salt

[bigquestion]

Why does salt affect th growth of pleurococcus. Does the salt water in the Pleurococcus will diffuse down the concentration gradient by osmosis into the air, becuase of the higher concentration? drying out the algae so it doesn't photosynthesis well so it dies. Thats the only reason i can think of

[gen2]

You are muddled about osmosis.  Salt does not pass through the cell membrane by osmosis, neither can it pass into air.  In osmosis, water passes through the cell membrane from a region of high concentration (of water molecules) to a region of low concentration (of water molecules).  ie water passes down a concentration gradient.

[3Styler]

the salt outside the cells causes the water to flow out of the cells by osmosis down a concentration gradient from an area of high concentration to an area of their low concentration.  Thus the water flows out of the plant cells, if there is alot of slat, more water will flow out causing the cell to become plasmolysed and the vacuole to come away form the cell wall.  When a cell plasmolysed it can no longer photosynthsise and the plant overall produces less energy, this means it cannot use as much energy making proteins for growth.

[3Styler]

you really should do your own homework though