Putting bee honey on a cut kills bacteria. Honey contains a high concentration of sugar. Use your knowledge of water potential to suggest how putting honey on a cut kills bacteria.

Sugar is a solute, so honey contains a high concentration of solutes. This increases the solute potential, and decreases the water potential of honey, which is therefore lower than the water potential in bacterial cells.
Water flows down the water potential gradient from bacterial cells to honey. This dehydrates bacterial cells and there is reduced solvent available for metabolic reactions to occur in, which slows it down/stops them completely causing bacterial cell death.

NK
Answered by Nighat K. Biology tutor

3533 Views

See similar Biology A Level tutors

Related Biology A Level answers

All answers ▸

How does the human body regulate its blood glucose levels?


What role do calcium ions play in contraction of the sarcomere? (4 marks)


How does the sequence of pressure changes in the heart produce a unidirectional flow of blood?


Describe what can be used to determine the time of death of a corpse


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning