BIOL2174 Lecture 17: Osmosis and cell volume
Document Summary
Osmotic potential determines the bulk flow of eater into or out of the cell and is therefore a key factor in determining cell size or volume. If a solution to which cells are exposed is made hypotonic cell volume decreases. If a solution to which cells are exposed is made hypertonic cell volume increases. Origins of cell volume perturbations in mammalian cells. Change in extracellular solute concentration - extracellular osmotic potential. Dilution of solutes in plasma (plasma i think) Treatment - hypotonic saline to bring up salt concentration. Change in intracellular solute content (i. e. intracellular osmotic potential) Remember, water can cross the membrane via simple diffusion, so if a cell wants to adjust its size, it needs to adjust the solute concentration. Volume regulatory solute loss and gain termed regulatory volume decrease (rvd) and regulatory volume increase (rvi) The time course of rvd and rvi varies with cell type and experimental conditions.
