Plasmolysis
Plasmolysis occurs when cells lose water in a hypertonic solution. Turgor pressure decreases concurrently and in direct proportion and causal association to water loss. In this way, turgidity is positively correlated to a lower amount of water in a solution, as relative to the amount of water within the cell placed in the solution.
More succinctly, plasmolysis occurs when water leaves the cell to ‘enter’ the surrounding solution as is necessary and natural for the net movement of solvent particles during osmosis.
A common example of plasmolysis is the use of salt in the drying and preservation of foodstuffs. A high salinity solution surrounding the cells of a piece of food will cause food-spoiling prokaryotes to lose water to such an extent that hinders rapid proliferation and reproduction.
A high salinity solution thus deters decomposition in organic matter but causes rapid drying of the matter (along with extreme stiffness of the matter). Furthermore, the other compounds and/or molecules present in the solution may alter the reaction with the matter, and if one is to test the effects of salts upon a rate of decomposition, it is recommended to begin with a pure salt or a mixture that is solely composed of salts.
