Osmolarity

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Osmolarity

Osmolarity (pronounced: os-mo-lar-i-ty) is a term used in biology and chemistry to describe the concentration of a solution in terms of osmoles of solute per liter of solution.

Etymology

The term "osmolarity" is derived from the root word "osmosis", which comes from the Greek words "osmos" meaning "push" and "osis" meaning "condition". The suffix "-larity" is derived from the Latin word "lāritās" meaning "clearness" or "brightness", but in this context, it is used to denote a measure of concentration.

Definition

Osmolarity is a measure of the total concentration of all solutes in a solution. It is used to describe the solute concentration of blood, urine, and other bodily fluids. The unit of osmolarity is the osmole per liter (Osm/L).

Related Terms

  • Osmolality: Osmolality is similar to osmolarity, but it measures the number of osmoles of solute per kilogram of solvent, rather than per liter of solution.
  • Osmotic pressure: Osmotic pressure is the pressure that needs to be applied to a solution to prevent the inward flow of water across a semipermeable membrane.
  • Tonicity: Tonicity is a measure of the effective osmotic pressure gradient of two solutions separated by a semipermeable membrane.
  • Isotonic: Isotonic solutions have the same osmolarity as the inside of the cell, which means water neither enters nor leaves the cell.
  • Hypertonic: Hypertonic solutions have a higher osmolarity than the inside of the cell, which causes water to leave the cell.
  • Hypotonic: Hypotonic solutions have a lower osmolarity than the inside of the cell, which causes water to enter the cell.

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