If a hospital patient is mistakenly given an IV of pure water instead of a saline solution that is isotonic to blood,the patient's red blood cells will
A) shrink and collapse.
B) release water to the plasma along its concentration gradient.
C) absorb water from the plasma and eventually burst.
D) transport equal amounts of water across the cell membrane in both directions.
E) work with white blood cells to maintain the water level in the plasma.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a red blood cell is placed in a hypotonic solution (a solution with a lower solute concentration than the cell), water will move into the cell causing it to swell. If the solution is pure water, which has no solutes, water will rush into the cell causing it to absorb water from the plasma until it reaches a point where it can no longer expand, leading to the bursting of the cell. This is known as hemolysis. Therefore, if a hospital patient is mistakenly given an IV of pure water instead of a saline solution that is isotonic to blood, the red blood cells will absorb water from the plasma and eventually burst.

If a Hospital Patient Is Mistakenly Given an IV of Pure