What effect is most likely to occur in plant cells when placed in a hypertonic solution?

When plant cells are placed in a hypertonic solution, water moves out of the cells into the surrounding solution in an attempt to balance the solute concentrations on both sides of the cell membrane. This loss of water causes the cytoplasm to shrink away from the cell wall, a process known as plasmolysis. During plasmolysis, the cell membrane detaches from the rigid cell wall, which results in a significant decrease in turgor pressure—the pressure exerted by the fluid inside the cell against the cell wall. This condition can lead to wilting in plants and can severely affect their health and ability to function normally.

In contrast, being turgid means that a cell has absorbed water and maintains pressure against the cell wall, which happens in a hypotonic environment. Rapid replication and increased photosynthesis are not directly related to the effects of hypertonic solutions on plant cells; those processes depend on various other factors such as nutrient availability and appropriate osmotic conditions. Thus, cell exposure to a hypertonic solution is specifically linked to plasmolysis rather than these other activities.