Which term describes the bursting of a bacterial cell?

The term that accurately describes the bursting of a bacterial cell is plasmoptysis. This phenomenon occurs when a bacterial cell absorbs too much water, usually due to an environment where the solute concentration outside the cell is lower than that inside, leading to an influx of water. As the pressure inside the cell increases, it can eventually reach a point where the cell wall can no longer withstand this pressure, resulting in the cell bursting.

Understanding the process is important in microbiology and cell biology, as it highlights the effects of osmotic pressure on cells. In contrast, crenation refers to the shrinking of cells, particularly red blood cells, in a hypertonic solution, while plasmolysis is the process by which cells lose water in a hypertonic environment, leading to the separation of the cell membrane from the cell wall in plant cells. Hemolysis specifically refers to the rupture of red blood cells, releasing hemoglobin into the surrounding fluid, which is also different from the general case of bacterial cell bursting.