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Tonicity of Water

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Tonicity of Water

As a universal solvent, water contributes to varied chemical reactions when different

molecules dissolve in it and transferred into cells or out of them. In this case, the tonicity of

water in the body involves the relative concentration across cell membranes where molecules

cross over through osmosis. The tonicity of water as determined by the relative concentration of

molecules across the semi-permeable membranes, forms either hypertonic, hypotonic or isotonic

solutions. Movement of water to a patient in a hypotonic condition results to swelling, therefore,

intravenous (IV) fluid administrations to the human body do not contain pure water.

In particular, hypotonic condition in human body refers to the low concentration of solute

molecules outside the cells than inside their walls. As a result, the body cells tend to allow more

solvent molecules inside its semipermeable walls through osmosis (Rundgren & Svensen, 2018).

In this case, movement of water, a solvent, into the body cells of a patient already in a hypotonic

condition poses risk of swelling of tissues. Due to the hypotonic condition of body cells, the

water get into the cells where more solvent results in osmotic pressure from the inside and

pushes the walls to the outside. Also, due to the risk posed by more water getting into cells in

hypotonic conditions, intravenous fluids that contain saline are used (Silverthorn et al., 2018).

The saline solutions are included in the IV solutions to prevent excess water being osmotically

penetrating into body cells. When excess water is directed into veins, the blood cells become

hypotonic, which can lead to death.

Conclusively, water molecules in the body can move in or out of the cells through the

semipermeable walls by osmosis. Particularly, the hypotonic condition in the human body

implies more water molecules exist in the cells more than outside the wall membrane of each

unit. In this case, introducing more water molecules into the cell creates osmotic pressure that
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makes cells and in turn body tissues swell. Uncontrolled swelling of body cells and tissues may

result in death, therefore, intravenous (IV) administration of fluids in patients do not consist of

pure water. To prevent the possibility of cells and tissue swelling the IV fluids consist of saline

liquids mixed with water.

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References

Rundgren, M., & Svensen, C. H. (2018). Fluid balance, regulatory mechanisms, and

electrolytes. Fluid Therapy for the Surgical Patient, 1, 15-44.

Vujovic, P., Chirillo, M., & Silverthorn, D. U. (2018). Learning (by) osmosis: an approach to

teaching osmolarity and tonicity. Advances in physiology education, 42(4), 626-

635.https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00094.2018.