Blood Laboratory | Red cell fragility > Osmotic hemolysis |
Cell membranes are semipermeable barriers, and osmotic gradients are established between intracellular and extracellular fluids which can cause water to flow into and out of the cells. The amount of osmotic pressure depends upon the difference between the concentration of non-diffusible ions on each side of the membrane. | |
The theoretical background for this exercise is to be reviewed in your text book. | |
The intracellular fluid of erythrocytes is a solution of salts, glucose, protein and hemoglobin. A 0.9% NaCl solution is said to be isotonic: when blood cells reside in such a medium, the intracellular and extracellular fluids are in osmotic equilibrium across the cell membrane, and there is no net influx or efflux of water. | |
When subjected to hypertonic media (e.g. 1.8% NaCl), the cells lose their normal biconcave shape, undergoing collapse (leading to crenation) due to the rapid osmotic efflux of water. | On the other hand, in a hypotonic environment (e.g. 0.4% NaCl or distilled water), an influx of water occurs: the cells swell, the integrity of their membranes is disrupted, allowing the escape of their hemoglobin (hemolysis) which dissolves in the external medium. |
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In this experiment, we make use of the property that the osmotic fragility (or susceptibility to hemolysis) of erythrocytes is not uniform, and the number of cells undergoing hemolysis depends on the degree of hypotonicity of the extracellular medium. The concentration of liberated hemoglobin in each test medium is an index of the extent of osmotic hemolysis. Your task is to examine the relationship between extent of hemolysis and osmolarity of the medium in which the erythrocytes are suspended. | |
To continue with the procedure of erythrocyte fragility, click here | |
Video Transcript
Hi there. This question is about a red blood cell and which solution would cause it to go to undergo high analysis and Hamal Asus is when the red blood cell ruptures or breaks open. Okay, so this is going to happen when we get too much water flowing into the cell because the cell will just keep blowing up like a balloon until it eventually slices or breaks open. So we need to think about the concentration of each of these solutions. The inside of a red blood cell Is usually about .9 and dissolved solids. So .9%. So if we were to put this In a five solution, the 5% would be hyper tonic to the cell and water would flow out of the cell. Similarly, If we have a five in a cl solution, both of these solutions are more concentrated in salute Than the .9% inside the cell. So again we have a hyper tonic solution and water would flow out. If we had a .9 l solution, this would be isotonic and we would get and equilibrium and equal flow of water in and out of the cell. However, if we were to put this into distilled water, distilled water would be a HIPPA tonic solution meaning it has fewer dissolved salutes than the inside of the cell. So if we put it in a hippo tonic solution, water is going to flow into the cell trying to equalize these solutions trying to get them so they are isotonic. So we will have a net flow of water into the cell that will cause the cell to keep blowing up and blowing up until it ruptures until we get him analysis. So the correct answer here is that distilled water, the others will not cause a flow of water into the cell. They will either cause a flow of water out, or no net change, but letter D distilled water would cause a net flow of water into that cell and it would cause it to rupture. All right, thank you so much for asking a question, and I hope this was helpful.
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- A red blood cell will undergo hemolysis in A. 5% glucose B. 5% NaCl C. 0.9% NaCl D. distilled water. I
Question: A red blood cell will undergo hemolysis in A. 5% glucose B. 5% NaCl C. 0.9% NaCl D. distilled water. I
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A and C are isotonic with red blood cells. So these will not hamper these blood…
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