Question

when you receive fluid in the hospital, it is often a 0.9% saline solution. what would happen if the nur used distilled water instead?
the distilled water solution would be hypertonic to your blood cells, so they would lose water and crenate.
you would become hydrated more quickly and be much healthier.
the distilled water solution would be hypotonic to your blood cells, so they would gain water, swell, an possibly burst.
there is no way to predict the effects of distilled water on blood cells.
the distilled water solution would be isotonic to your cells, so nothing would happen.
question 9
why is it a good idea to soak wilted lettuce in cool water before serving it?
soaking the lettuce in water would have no effect.
the water is an isotonic solution relative to the cytoplasm in the plant cells, so they will gain water, and the lettuce will become less wilted.
the water is a hypotonic solution relative to the cytoplasm in the plant cells, so the plant cells will gain water, and the lettuce will become crisper.
the water is a hypotonic solution relative to the cytoplasm in the plant cells, so the plant cells will gain water, and the lettuce will become more wilted.
the water is a hypertonic solution relative to the cytoplasm in the plant cells so that the plant cells will gain water, and the lettuce will become crisper.

Explanation:

• For the first question: Distilled water has a lower solute concentration than blood cells. A solution with lower solute concentration compared to another (in this case, blood cells) is hypotonic. When cells are in a hypotonic solution, water moves into the cells by osmosis. Animal cells (like blood cells) do not have a cell wall to prevent excessive water intake, so they can swell and possibly burst.
• For the second question: Wilted lettuce has lost water. Cool water is a hypotonic solution relative to the cytoplasm of plant cells. Plant cells have a cell wall. When plant cells take in water (by osmosis from the hypotonic solution), the cell wall provides structural support. As water enters the cells, the vacuoles expand, pushing against the cell wall, and the lettuce becomes crisper (less wilted).

Answer:

• First question: The distilled water solution would be hypotonic to your blood cells, so they would gain water, swell, and possibly burst.
• Second question: The water is a hypotonic solution relative to the cytoplasm in the plant cells, so the plant cells will gain water, and the lettuce will become crisper.