Plasma osmolality: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

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Plasma osmolality

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	Plasma osmolality
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	Topics Plasma osmolality Topic Home Plasma osmolality is a measure of the concentration of substances such as sodiumSodium Sodium is a chemical element which has the symbol Na , atomic number 11, atomic mass 22.9898 g/mol, oxidation number +1.... , chlorideChloride The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form an anion Cl−.... , potassiumPotassium Potassium is a chemical element. It has the symbol K and atomic number 19.... , ureaUrea Urea is an organic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen, with the formula CON2H4 or 2CO.... , glucoseGlucose Summary Glucose , a monosaccharide , is one of the most important carbohydrates in biology.... , and other ionIon Summary An ion is an atom or group of atoms that normally are electrically neutral and achieve their status as an ion by loss of an... s in human bloodBlood Blood is a highly specialised circulating tissue consisting of several types of cell suspended in a fluid medium known as pl... . It is calculated as the osmolesOsmole (unit) In chemistry, the osmole is a non-SI unit of measurement that defines the number of moles of a chemical compound that contr... of solute per kilogram of solvent. Normal osmolality in plasma is about 280 - 303 milli-osmoles per kilogram. It is affected by changes in water content. To calculate plasma osmolarity (osmolality) use the following equation: P_osm = 2[Na⁺] + [Glucose]/18 + [ BUNBun A bun is a sweet or plain small bread or a round roll.... ]/2.8 Clinical Relevance As cell membraneCell membrane A cell membrane, plasma membrane or plasmalemma is a selectively permeable lipid bilayer coated by proteins whi... s in general are freely permeable to waterFacts About Water Water is a tasteless, odorless substance that is essential to all known forms of life and is known as the universal solve... , the osmolality of the extracellular fluidExtracellular fluid Overview In some animals, including mammals, the extracellular fluid can be divided into 2 major subcompartments, interstitial fluid ... (ECF) is approximately equal to that of the intracellular fluid (ICF). Therefore, plasma osmolality is a guide to intracellular osmolality. This is important, as it shows that changes in ECF osmolality have a great affect on ICF osmolality - changes that can cause problems with normal cell functioning and volume. If the ECF was to become too hypotonicHypotonic In biology, a hypotonic cell environment is an environment with a lower concentration of solutes than the cytoplasm of the c... , water would readily fill surrounding cells, increasing their volume and potentially lysingLysis Lysis refers to the death of a cell by bursting, often by viral or osmotic mechanisms that compromise the integrity of the c... them.