Can the plant's cell wall burst if it is too full of water molecules? If so, why, how, and what would the plant and an individual cell look like? Also, is that why cut flowers wilt and die?

Question

I know that the cell wall protects the plant cell from turgor pressure, which keeps it from bursting, and the cell wall also keeps more of the water molecules from entering the cell, but what if the cell wall wasn't working properly and the cell burst?

Elias Aboujaoude · Accepted Answer

Normally not. Cut flowers dry out

Normally, the cell wall keeps too much water out. When the wall is compromised by freezing or the use of enzymes, the cut flowers become weaker because the cells lose their ability to hold water in place and become dry, which also kills the plant. When a plant cell bursts (without or with significant wall degradation), it resembles an animal cell in general, though it may have chloroplasts.

Cooper Alexander · Answer

undefined Indeed, if a plant's cell wall becomes overly packed with water molecules, it may burst due to osmotic pressure, which occurs when water enters the cell more quickly than it can exit, causing the cell to swell and possibly burst. This phenomenon is referred to as cytolysis in plants, and it causes the plant to wilt or droop. In a single cell, bursting results in the rupture of the cell membrane, which causes the loss of cell contents. This may be one of the reasons why cut flowers wilt and die—they can no longer maintain their turgidity and structural integrity without an ongoing source of water.