What happens to an animal cell when placed in a hypotonic solution?

When an animal cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, it will b) take on water. In a hypotonic environment, the concentration of solutes outside the cell is lower than that inside the cell. This difference in concentration causes water to move into the cell through osmosis, leading the cell to swell. If too much water enters, the cell may eventually burst, but initially, the primary response is the intake of water.