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S. Faubel and J. Topf5 Osmoregulation
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The Fluid, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Companion
Introduction
Osmoregulation is the maintenance of a consis-tent plasma osmolality.
Osmoregulation is the maintenance of a consistent plasma osmolality.Plasma osmolality is the concentration of all the solutes (electrolytes andnonelectrolytes) in plasma. Plasma osmolality is normally between 285 and295 mmol/L.
The following chapters on Hyponatremia andHypernatremia, examine the pathophysiol-ogy, differential diagnosis and treatment of sodium disorders.At the heart of these disordersis a failure of osmoregulation.A solid understanding of osmoregulation will make tacklinghyponatremia and hypernatremia easier.
_____________ is the maintenance of a constant plasma osmolality.Osmolality is a measurement of the _____________ of particles pervolume of water and is commonly expressed as ____________.There are two kinds of solutes in plasma: __________ and___________.Osmoregulationnumbermmol/Lelectrolytesnonelectrolytes
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S. Faubel and J. Topf5 Osmoregulation
If plasma osmolality is high, water osmotically flows from the intracellu-lar compartment into the plasma and interstitial compartments. This move-ment of water causes cells to shrink, disrupting their function.If plasma osmolality is low, water osmotically flows from the plasma andinterstitial compartments into the intracellular compartment. The cells swellfrom the influx of water leading to decreased cellular function and, if se-vere, cell lysis and death.Because of the potentially devastating consequences of abnormalities inplasma osmolality, tight control is important.
Introduction
Changes in plasma osmolality can change cell vol-ume and disrupt cell function.
Osmoregulation is important because fluctuations in plasmaosmolality can cause changes in cell _______.Decreased plasma osmolality causes water to flow _______ cellswhich ________ (increases/decreases) cell volume and disruptsfunction.aaavolumeintoincreases
Consequence of low plasma osmolalityConsequence of high plasma osmolality
celllow plasmaosmolalityswollen cellnormal plasmaosmolalitycellhigh plasmaosmolalityshrunkencellnormal plasmaosmolality
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