What statement is true regarding the environment of a cell?

The environment being hypotonic to the cell indicates that the concentration of solutes outside the cell is lower than that inside the cell. In such a scenario, water moves into the cell to balance solute concentrations, leading to potential swelling or even bursting of the cell if the influx is excessive. This is a fundamental concept in understanding osmosis and the behavior of cells in different solutions.

In biological systems, cells often maintain a certain level of turgor pressure, which supports cellular structures. In a hypotonic environment, this pressure can enhance the rigidity of plant cells while animal cells may be at risk of lysis. Understanding the implications of solute concentration on cellular health and function is critical in biochemistry, as it illustrates how cells interact with their surroundings and maintain homeostasis.

Other options, such as hypertonic or isotonic environments, describe different relationships between solute concentrations that would lead to different cellular responses, highlighting the importance of recognizing these distinctions in cellular and biochemical contexts.