Figure 5.12 A doctor injects a patient with what the doctor thinks is an isotonic saline solution. The patient dies, and an autopsy reveals that many red blood cells have been destroyed. Do you think the solution the doctor injected was really isotonic?
To analyze:
The type of the solution inserted in the body of the patient, which causes the destruction of the RBCs.
Introduction:
Solutions are of three types depending upon the concentration of solutes. The solution having a high concentration of solutes is called hypertonic solution, the one with less solute is called hypotonic solution and two solutions having equal concentration of solutes is known as an isotonic solution.
Explanation of Solution
The solution which is injected into a patient was not isotonic but hypotonic. A hypotonic solution is the one which has less solute and more solvent (water) concentration. Due to this, the solvent rushes inside the RBC by the process called as diffusion. When the water rushes in the RBCs, the cells swell and burst.
Diffusion of solutes and water takes place from high concentration to low concentration. The RBCs, when placed in the hypotonic solution swell and burst, which causes the destruction of RBCs.
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