What does it mean for a person to be hypotonic?

Medical Definition of hypotonic 1 : having deficient tone or tension hypotonic children. 2 : having a lower osmotic pressure than a surrounding medium or a fluid under comparison a hypotonic solution — compare hypertonic sense 2, isotonic sense 1.

Can a person be hypotonic?

Hypotonic can mean several things in biology. Its many definitions apply to both human biology and biochemistry. When referring to humans or animals, hypotonic signifies a muscle’s having less tone, or shape, compared to a normal comparison model or when compared to another muscle in the same human body.

Are human cells hypertonic or hypotonic?

Water does this because, by diffusing to where there are more solutes, it essentially evens out the ratio of solvent and solute. When human cells are in a hypotonic solution, water will rush into the cell by osmosis, which is not good for the cell because it will fill with water and burst, or lyse.

What is the biological definition of hypotonic?

Hypotonic solution (biology definition): A solution that has lower osmotic pressure (or has fewer solutes) than another solution to which it is compared. Compare: hypertonic solution, isotonic solution.

What is hypotonic solution in simple words?

Hypotonic solution: A solution that contains fewer dissolved particles (such as salt and other electrolytes) than is found in normal cells and blood. Hypotonic solutions are commonly used to give fluids intravenously to hospitalized patients in order to treat or avoid dehydration.

What is an example of hypotonic?

A hypotonic solution is a solution that has a lower concentration of solute compared to the cell. A hypotonic solution example is salt water. The salt is the solute, and the water is the solvent.

What is hypertonic example?

A hypertonic solution is one which has a higher solute concentration than another solution. An example of a hypertonic solution is the interior of a red blood cell compared with the solute concentration of fresh water.

What is a real life example of hypertonic solution?

Seawater. Seawater has a high amount of salt particles compared to freshwater, making it a hypertonic solution. Freshwater fish can’t live in seawater because the water would rush from their cells into the surrounding saltwater. They would soon die from dehydration.

What is difference between hypertonic and hypotonic?

1. Hypotonic solutions have less solutes and more solvent while hypertonic solutions have more solutes and less solvent. 2. Hypotonic solutions cause the cell to swell because it promotes shifting of water into it while hypertonic solutions cause the cell to shrink because it pulls the water out of the cell.

What is a real life example of hypotonic solution?

A common example of a hypotonic solution is 0.45% normal saline (half normal saline). When a patient develops diabetic ketoacidosis, the intracellular space becomes dehydrated, so the administration of a hypotonic solution helps to rehydrate the cells.

What does hypotonic mean in biology?

Hypotonic Definition. Hypotonic can mean several things in biology. Its many definitions apply to both human biology and biochemistry. When referring to humans or animals, hypotonic signifies a muscle’s having less tone, or shape, compared to a normal comparison model or when compared to another muscle in the same human body.

What are some characteristics of hypertonic?

A hypertonic solution will have a higher concentration of solutes than the cell and will have a higher osmotic pressure outside the cell than inside the cell. This will cause the water to be pulled from the cell, which results in the cells attempt to equalize osmotic pressure.

What does hypertonic and hypotonic and isotonic mean?

The main difference between isotonic hypotonic and hypertonic solutions is that isotonic solutions are solutions having equal osmotic pressures and hypotonic solutions are solutions having a lower osmotic pressure whereas hypertonic solutions are solutions with a high osmotic pressure .

What are some examples of hypotonic solutions?

Hypotonic Solution Hypotonic Solution Definition. A hypotonic solution is a solution that has a lower solute concentration compared to another solution. Examples of Hypotonic Solution. Large plants and fungi control the environment around their cells, helping ensure the environment is always a hypotonic solution, compared to the cells. Related Biology Terms. Quiz.