Cell Biology - 7 Points about Plasmolysis Plasmolysis vs Flaccid vs Turgid Credits: Wikimedia, Author: LadyOfHats 1. When a living plant cell loses water through osmosis there is shrinkage or contraction of the contents of the cell away from the cell wall. This phenomenon is known as plasmolysis (plasma → fluid; lysis → disintegration, decomposition). 2. Only living cells, and not dead