Tonicity
Tonicity
Tonicity (/toʊˈnɪsɪti/) is a term used in medicine and cell biology to describe the ability of a surrounding solution to cause a cell to gain or lose water. It is based on the relative concentrations of solutes in two fluids separated by a semipermeable membrane.
Etymology
The term "tonicity" is derived from the Greek word "tonos", which means tension or tone. In the context of cell biology, it refers to the tension or pressure exerted on a cell by the surrounding fluid.
Types of Tonicity
There are three types of tonicity: hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic.
- A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes than the cell. This causes water to move into the cell, which may cause the cell to burst.
- An isotonic solution has the same concentration of solutes as the cell. There is no net movement of water, so the cell remains the same size.
- A hypertonic solution has a higher concentration of solutes than the cell. This causes water to move out of the cell, which may cause the cell to shrink.
Related Terms
- Osmosis: The process by which water moves across a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration.
- Osmotic pressure: The pressure that needs to be applied to a solution to prevent the inward flow of water across a semipermeable membrane.
- Osmoregulation: The process by which organisms regulate the osmotic pressure of their body fluids to maintain homeostasis.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Tonicity
- Wikipedia's article - Tonicity
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