![]() In a hypotonic environment, cells tend to swell due to intake of water. Solutions on two sides of a semi-permeable membrane tend to equalize in solute concentration by movement of solutes and/or water across the membrane.įigure 1. Cells placed in a hypertonic environment tend to shrink due to loss of water. Semi-permeable membranes are permeable (or permissive) to certain types of solutes and water. The membranes of the body (such as the pleural, serous, and cell membranes) are semi-permeable membranes. The body’s fluids include blood plasma, the cytosol within cells, and interstitial fluid, the fluid that exists in the spaces between cells and tissues of the body. Both electrolytes and non-electrolytes contribute to the osmotic balance. A non-electrolyte, in contrast, doesn’t dissociate into ions during water dissolution. An electrolyte is a solute that dissociates into ions when dissolved in water. Osmoregulation is the process of maintenance of salt and water balance ( osmotic balance) across membranes within the body’s fluids, which are composed of water, plus electrolytes and non-electrolytes. Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a membrane in response to osmotic pressure caused by an imbalance of molecules on either side of the membrane.
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