If a red blood cell RBC is placed in a 05 salt solution whic

If a red blood cell (RBC) is placed in a 0.5% salt solution, which of the following would occur?
1. Water will move out of the RBC.
2. RBC will hemolyze.
3. RBC will crenate.
4. Water will enter the RBC.

Doing the calculations I think the milliosmolatity is 171 and the answer would be 1 and 3... that water will move out of the RBC and crenate... is this correct?

Solution

The correct option is.............2. RBC will hemolyze and 4. Water will enter the RBC. Hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic are the terms of osmosis. Normal saline has 0.9% salinity, below 0.9% is hypertonic and above 0.9% is hypertonic. So always the RBC to be maintained in an hypertonic solution as hypotonic solution leads to hemolysis and death of Red blood cells. If RBC is placed in a solution which is hypertonic or with higher salt concentration than its own cell, results in loss of water from RBC, leads to shrinkage of cell. The RBC becomes crenated. When RBC is placed in hypotonic solution or lower solute concentration than its own cell, results in drawing of water into blood cell, results in swelling of cell. The RBC becomes hemolyzed. RBC will hemolyze in pure water where due to entry of water into red blood cell, the RBC bursts.