OSMOTIC PRESSURE WORKSHEET

Osmosis is the movement of solvent particles through a semipermeable membrane from a

lower solute concentration region to a higher solute concentration region.

Osmosis is the net movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an

area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. Water moves
into and out of cells by osmosis. The more solute water contains, the less apt it will be to
move across a membrane.

1. Isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic solutions

Tonicity is the ability of an extracellular solution to make water move into or out of
a cell by osmosis. It considers both relative solute concentrations and the cell
membrane’s permeability to those solutes.

a. Hypertonic solution
i. net flow of water out of the cell; the cell will lose volume
ii. its solute concentration is higher than that inside the cell
iii. solutes cannot cross the membrane
b. Hypotonic solution
i. net flow of water into the cell; the cell will gain volume
ii. its solute concentration is lower than inside the cell
iii. solutes cannot cross the membrane
c. Isotonic solution
i. no net flow of water into or out of the cell; the cell’s volume will
remain unchanged
ii. its solute concentration outside the cell is the same as inside the cell
iii. solutes cannot cross the membrane

2. Osmotic pressure
 Osmotic pressure is a colligative property of solutions. It is the pressure required
to stop water from diffusing through a membrane by osmosis. It is determined by
the solute concentration. It is measured in atm (standard atmospheric pressure).

Formula in calculating osmotic pressure:

Π = 𝑀𝑅𝑇

Π: osmotic pressure
M: molar concentration of solute
R: gas constant
T: temperature (in Kelvins)

3. Osmosis in biological systems

Osmosis is important in biological systems because it accounts for the transport of
water and solutes through cell walls (semipermeable membranes).

3.1. Cell membrane of RBC

Red blood cells (RBC) are covered with a membrane of proteins and lipids.

When red blood cells are placed in a hypertonic solution, water flows
out of the cell faster than it comes in. This results in crenation of the red
blood cell. The cell will shrivel, its cytoplasm will become dense and its
contents concentrated. The cell may die.

Crenation refers to the shrinking of a cell and developing a scalloped

appearance.

Pure water is hypotonic for red blood cells. When red blood cells are
placed in a hypotonic solution, water flows into the cell faster than it comes
out. This results in the swelling of the cell and potential hemolysis.

Hemolysis refers to the bursting of red blood cells and release of

hemoglobin. In this process, the RBC membrane is disrupted or ruptured.
 When a red blood cell is placed in an isotonic solution, there will be
no net movement of water. The flow of water in and out of the cell is
happening at the same rate. A solution containing prorated amounts of
sodium chloride (NaCl) is isotonic to red blood cells. The size and shape of it
stay the same.

3.2. Why saltwater is non-potable

Saltwater makes up the oceans and seas. It is a mixture of water and
dissolved salts.

Saltwater is hypertonic to cells: when digested, water in cells will

move toward the ingested saltwater. The loss of water will cause the cells to
shrink and crenate. Drinking saltwater will lead to dehydration, which is why
it is not safe for regular consumption.

3.3. Edema
Edema is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in body tissues. It can
affect any part of the body, but it is commonly noticeable in the hands, arms,
feet, ankles, and legs.

Osmotic edema presents itself in cerebral edema. The most common form of
cerebral edema is vasogenic cerebral edema, which results from the
disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

The BBB is a highly selective semipermeable membrane of

endothelial cells that prevents solutes in the circulating blood from crossing
into the extracellular fluid of the central nervous system (CNS).

With the disruption of the BBB, ions and proteins flow freely into the
CNS, which causes an osmotic draw of fluid into the brain interstitium. The
cells of the brain pull water from the plasma, resulting in widespread edema.

3.4. Salt preservation of fish

 Salting refers to a food preservation method where salt (NaCl) is used as a
preservative that penetrates the tissue, slowing bacterial growth and
deactivating enzymes.

The salt solution draws water away from the food, leaving behind the
salt. Salt is a natural antibacterial agent; it kills bacteria by drawing water
out of them, another process of osmosis.

3.5. Sugar preservation of fruits

Sugaring refers to a food preservation technique where food is desiccated,
then packed with pure sugar. This sugar can be crystalline in the form of
table or raw sugar, or liquefied such as honey or syrup.

Sugar replaces some of the water in the fruit through osmosis. The
sugar solution to be used must be of greater sugar concentration than the
fruit itself. It will draw water molecules out of the fruit cells, lowering its
water activity, hence minimizing microbial and bacterial growth. A
hypertonic solution is present in sugaring.

3.6. Osmosis in the kidney

Kidney failure (a.k.a renal failure) refers to when one or both kidneys can no
longer function well on their own. Treatment options for this disease are
dialysis and kidney transplant. In dialysis, osmosis is utilized.

Dialysis artificially removes waste products and extra fluids from

your blood. There are two kinds of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal
dialysis.

In hemodialysis, a machine filters waste and excess fluids from the

blood. In peritoneal dialysis, a thin tube is inserted into the abdomen
carrying a dialysis solution that will fill the abdominal cavity, and absorbs
waste and excess fluids. Afterward, the dialysis solution drains from the
body, carrying the wastes with it.
 The dialysis machine in hemodialysis uses a semipermeable
membrane. Blood is pumped next to a membrane that has dialysis fluid on
the other side. Through osmosis, the water in the blood and wastes move
across the membrane into the dialysis fluid.

3.7. Intravenous infusion of nutrients

Intravenous fluids (IV) are often prescribed to patients who experience
deficient fluid volume. These restore fluid to the intravascular compartment
and are used to facilitate the movement of fluid due to osmosis. There are
two types of IV fluids: crystalloid solutions and colloid solutions. Both have
different compositions, thus garnering different reactions in the body.

Crystalloid fluids interact with cells because the solutions are

allowed into the semipermeable cellular membrane via osmosis. On the
other hand, colloid fluids remain in the bloodstream because they are too
large to enter the membrane.

Crystalloid hypotonic solutions increase fluid levels within cells.

Sodium chlorine (saline) is the main ingredient in all hypotonic solutions but
is in low concentrations. Hypertonic solutions have higher sodium content
and draw water out of the cells, which is ideal for replacing electrolytes.
Isotonic solutions resemble that of blood plasma. It maintains balanced
osmotic pressure with equal amounts of fluids, both inside and outside the
cells.

Colloid solutions provide nutrients to help patients regain strength.

When a person is receiving IV fluids, the osmotic pressure of the fluid

needs to be approximately the same as the blood serum to avoid any
negative consequences.

3.8. Single-celled marine organisms in seawater

 Diatoms are single-celled, photosynthetic organisms found in marine
environments, both freshwater and saltwater. They are phytoplankton,
microscopic marine algae, and have a siliceous cell wall called frustule.

Diatoms produce long chains of fatty acids. They are an important source of
these energy-rich molecules that provide food for other marine organisms.
Diatoms are indicative of the biotic condition of bodies of water due to
specific species growing in distinct ranges of pH and salinity.

Osmosis is involved in the active transport of water in the photosynthesis

process of these algae.

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