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Dialysis
Last updated: Mar 3, 2020

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Dialysis is the separation of colloids from

dissolved ions or molecules of small
dimensions, or crystalloid, in a solution. A
colloid is any substance that is made of
particles that are of an extremely small size:
larger than atoms but generally have the
size of 10-7 cm ranging to 10-3 cm. A
crystalloid is a substance that has some or
all of the properties of a crystal or a
substance that forms a true solution and
diffuses through a membrane by dialysis.
Dialysis is a process that is like osmosis.
Osmosis is the process in which there is a
diffusion of a solvent through a
semipermeable membrane.

Introduction
In 1861, chemist Thomas Graham (how
developed Graham's Law) used the process
of dialysis, a process used to separate
colloidal particles from dissolved ions or
molecules. Dialysis is possible because of
the unequal rates of diffusion through a
semipermeable membrane. A
semipermeable membrane is a membrane
that lets some molecules to pass through it
while not letting others (Figure 1 ). Examples
of semipermeable membranes include
parchment and cellophane.

Figure 1: Graphic showing the diffusion of solutes

across a membrane during dialysis. from wikipedia
(Potcherboy)

Another way to think of a semipermeable

membrane is to think of a net like object that
traps larger objects, but lets smaller object
pass through because they can pass
through the holes in the net.

… Osmotic Pressure Dialysis

Video 1 : Osmotic Pressure Dialysis Tubing

When a colloidal mixture is places in a

semipermeable membrane, which is then
placed in an aqueous solution or pure water,
dissolved ions and small molecules are
allowed to pass through this membrane.
This causes colloidal particles to stay in the
membrane, because these particles are
unable to pass through the small pores of
the membrane.

The Rate of Dialysis

Dialysis is not a quick process; the rate of
dialysis depends on the speed of the
unequal diffusion rates between the
crystalloids and the colloids and the
differences in particle size. The rate of
dialysis can be changed through heating, or
if the crystalloids are charged, then
applying an electric field, called
electrodialysis. Electrodialysis is the type of
dialysis in which electrodes are placed on
the sides of the membrane. In this way,
positive ions can pass through one side of
this membrane while the negatively charged
ions can pass through the other side of the
membrane. This causes acceleration in the
process of dialysis.

Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis is a method in which kidney
failure is treated with the process of dialysis.
In hemodialysis, blood is removed, purified
through dialysis, and returned to the
bloodstream. In kidney failure, there is a
retention of salts and water, urea, and
metabolic acids. The patient is then
connected to a dialysis machine, which is
also called a hemodialyzer. The blood flows
through small channels made of
semipermeable membranes (Figure 2 ). The
dissolved substances like urea and salts
pass through a sterile solution. Compounds
like sugar and amino acids are added to the
sterile solution. The dialysis solution is on
the other side of the membranes, and the
molecules flow through the membranes.
The molecules diffuse from a higher
concentration to low concentration area.
The concentrations of molecules needed to
be removed from the blood are zero in the
dialysis fluid.

Figure 2: (left) Scheme of semipermeable

membrane during hemodialysis, where blood
is red, dialysing fluid is blue, and the
membrane is yellow. from Wikipedia
(Freemesm). (right) Hemodialysis setup.
Blausen.com staff. "Blausen gallery 2014".
Wikiversity Journal of Medicine.
DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 20018762.
See a full animation of this medical topic.

The process of hemodialysis helps many

patients who have kidney failure because a
person who suffers from kidney failure are
at great risk, because someone who has
complete kidney failure will need a kidney
transplant within two weeks, or else he/she
will face death. Between the time that the
person finds a suitable kidney to be
transplanted, the hemodialyzer comes into
great help in facing the fight against death.

References
1. Petrucci, et al. General Chemistry
Principles & Modern Applications. 9th ed.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Prentice Hall, 2007.
2. Sadava, et al. Life: The Science of
Biology. 8th ed. New York, NY. W.H.
Freeman and Company, 2007.

Contributors
Katrina Lau (UCD)

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