A patient was involved a serious accident and lost a large quantity of blood. In an attempt to replenish body fluids, distilled water-equal to the volume of blood lost-is added to the blood directly via one of his veins. What will be the most probable result of this transfusion?
A) The patient's red blood cells will shrivel up because the blood has become hypotonic compared to the cells.
B) The patient's red blood cells will swell and possibly burst because the blood has become hypotonic compared to the cells.
C) The patient's red blood cells will shrivel up because the blood has become hypertonic compared to the cells.
D) The patient's red blood cells will burst because the blood has become hypertonic compared to the cells.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Distilled water is pure H2O with no solutes, making it hypotonic compared to the blood's cellular contents. This will cause water to move into the cells by osmosis, causing them to swell and potentially burst.

A Patient Was Involved a Serious Accident and Lost a Large