A hypotonic IV fluid will cause cells to

A hypotonic IV fluid will cause cells to

• A. Shrink due to water loss from the cell.
• B. Remain unchanged.
• C. Burst from excessive swelling.
• D. Gain water and swell.

Answer: (D)

Tonicity dictates how water moves between compartments. A hypotonic IV fluid has lower solute concentration than the inside of the cell, so water flows into the cell by osmosis. That influx causes the cell to gain water and swell, and in extreme cases it can burst. So the best description is that the cell gains water and swells. If the solution were hypertonic, water would leave the cell and the cell would shrink; with isotonic fluid the cell size remains essentially unchanged.

Tonicity dictates how water moves between compartments. A hypotonic IV fluid has lower solute concentration than the inside of the cell, so water flows into the cell by osmosis. That influx causes the cell to gain water and swell, and in extreme cases it can burst. So the best description is that the cell gains water and swells. If the solution were hypertonic, water would leave the cell and the cell would shrink; with isotonic fluid the cell size remains essentially unchanged.