What is tonicity in biology in simple words?
Tonicity is defined as the ability of a solution surrounding a cell to cause that cell to gain or lose water (Urry et al., 2017). While osmolarity is an absolute quantity, tonicity is relative.
What is tonicity simple?
Tonicity is the concentration of a solution as compared to another solution. Concentration describes the amount of solutes dissolved by a solution. In biology, the tonicity of the environment compared to the cell determines how water moves across the semipermeable membrane.
How is tonicity defined?
(1) A property of a solution that depends on the osmotic force exerted across the membrane as influenced by the differing concentrations of solutes in and out of the cell; the osmotic pressure or tension of a solution, as in the cells would swell or shrink depending on the tonicity of the environment.
What is an example of tonicity?
EXAMPLES. Tonicity is the reason why salt water fish cannot live in fresh water and vice versa. A salt water fish’s cells have evolved to have a very high solute concentration to match the high osmolarity of the salt water they live in.
What is tonicity in biochemistry?
Tonicity. Tonicity is the capability of a solution to modify the volume of cells by altering their water content. The movement of water into a cell can lead to hypotonicity or hypertonicity when water moves out of the cell.
What is tonicity in biology quizlet?
Tonicity. A description of the relative solute concentration in a solution as compared to another solution. Equilibrium. The condition that exists in system when there is a relatively equal distribution of a particular molecule. Hypertonic.
What is the importance of tonicity?
Having a good understanding of tonicity gives a good insight into how dehydration can affect the cells of the body. An isotonic solution is best because the osmotic pressure within and outside the cell is equal, so there is no net movement of water and the cells will retain their shape and function.
What is tonicity agent?
The tonicity of a solution is related to its effect on the volume of a cell. Solutions that do not change the volume of a cell are said to be isotonic. A hypotonic solution causes a cell to swell, whereas a hypertonic solution causes a cell to shrink.
How does tonicity relate to osmosis?
“Tonicity is the ability of a solution to affect the fluid volume and pressure in a cell. If a solute cannot pass through a plasma membrane, but remains more concentrated on one side of the membrane than on the other, it causes osmosis.”
What is tonicity and how does this affect the function of the cell?
Tonicity describes how an extracellular solution can change the volume of a cell by affecting osmosis. A solution’s tonicity often directly correlates with the osmolarity of the solution. Osmolarity describes the total solute concentration of the solution.
What is tonicity in diffusion?
Osmosis is a specific kind of diffusion; the diffusion of water molecules across a membrane, typically the membrane of a living cell. The relationship between the concentrations of solutes on either side of the membrane is referred to as tonicity.
Which is the best definition of tonicity in biology?
Biology Dictionary. By. Tonicity is the concentration of a solution as compared to another solution. Concentration describes the amount of solutes dissolved by a solution. If a solution has a higher concentration of solutes (less water) than another it is said to be hypertonic.
How are hypotonic and hypertonic solutions related to tonicity?
A hypotonic solution causes a cell to swell, whereas a hypertonic solution causes a cell to shrink. Although it is related to osmolality, tonicity also takes into consideration the ability of the solute to cross the cell membrane. Consider two solutions: a 300 mmol/L solution of sucrose and a 300 mmol/L solution of urea.
How is the tonicity of a solution related to volume?
Tonicity The tonicity of a solution is related to its effect on the volume of a cell. Solutions that do not change the volume of a cell are said to be isotonic. A hypotonic solution causes a cell to swell, whereas a hypertonic solution causes a cell to shrink.
What is the relationship between osmotic pressure and tonicity?
Tonicity. Tonicity is that the capability of a solution because of which water will interchange into or out of a cell by the method of diffusion is phenomena is named Osmotic Pressure. Tonicity of any solution is associated with its solutions Osmolarity.