
To explain:
The osmolarity of sea water is more than four times of osmolarity of blood. Explain the reason why a person can’t drink sea water. Most of the water is saline that means seawater and a very little amount is fresh water which is available to drink.
Concept introduction:
Osmolarity refers to the concentration of the solution, which is the total number of solute particles in 1 liter of solvent. Osmolarity of seawater is much higher than the osmolarity of blood.

Explanation of Solution
The human body is composed of approx 60% of water. This water is separated into two compartments: the extracellular fluid (fluid outside of cells) and intracellular fluid (fluid inside the cells). The water can travel to and fro through a semi-permeable membrane and keeps the cells and outer space isotonic. The water can freely pass through the membrane but some ions cannot.
It is bad for the body to drink sea water because the concentration of solutes is higher in seawater than the solute concentration in the body. The cells require an isotonic medium to perform properly but when the body consumes the water with high salt concentration, the major net gain in the body is of the salt. This makes the medium “hypertonic for the cells”. Due to high salt concentration in extracellular space, the water starts moving out of the cells to create equilibrium. This condition causes dehydration in the body.
If seawater is consumed, the high osmolarity difference between blood and seawater causes dehydration to the cells. Due to thirst, the cells are already facing the crisis of water, the addition of hypertonic water makes the conditions worse for the cells. So consumption of saline water is not beneficial to remove thirst feeling.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 36 Solutions
Biology: Life on Earth with Physiology Plus Mastering Biology with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package (11th Edition)
- Question about general transcription factors and their relationship to polymerasesarrow_forwardIdentify the indicated structure?arrow_forwardrewrite: Problem 1 (Mental Health): The survivor victim is dealing with acute stress and symptoms of a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to their traumatic experience during the January 2025 wildfire. Goal 1: To alleviate the client's overall level, frequency, and intensity of anxiety and PTSD symptoms so that daily functioning remains unimpaired. Objective 1: The client will learn and regularly use at least two anxieties management techniques to reduce anxiety symptoms to less than three episodes per week. Intervention 1: The therapist will provide psychoeducation about anxiety and PTSD, including their symptoms and triggers. The therapist will also teach and assist the client in adopting relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation, to better manage anxiety and lessen PTSD symptoms.arrow_forward
- O Macmillan Learning You have 0.100 M solutions of acetic acid (pKa = 4.76) and sodium acetate. If you wanted to prepare 1.00 L of 0.100 M acetate buffer of pH 4.00, how many milliliters of acetic acid and sodium acetate would you add? acetic acid: mL sodium acetate: mLarrow_forwardHow does the cost of food affect the nutritional choices people make?arrow_forwardBiopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics:Two-Compartment Model Zero-Order Absorption Questions SHOW ALL WORK, including equation used, variables used and each step to your solution, report your regression lines and axes names (with units if appropriate) :Calculate a-q a) B1, b) B2, c) hybrid rate constant (1) d) hybrid rate constant (2) e) t1/2,dist f) t1/2,elim g) k10 h) k12 i) k21 j) initial concentration (C0) k) central compartment volume (V1) l) steady-state volume (Vss) m) clearance (CL) AUC (0→10 min) using trapezoidal rule n) AUC (20→30 min) using trapezoidal rule o) AUCtail (AUC360→∞) p) total AUC (using short cut method) q) volume from AUC (VAUC)arrow_forward
- What are some external influences that keep people from making healthy eating decisions?arrow_forwardWhat type of structure(s) would you expect to see in peripheral membrane proteins? (mark all that apply) A. Amphipathic alpha helix (one side is hydrophilic and one side is hydrophobic) B. A hydrophobic beta barrel C. A hydrophobic alpha helix D. A chemical group attached to the protein that can anchor it to the membranearrow_forwardTemporal flexibility (the ability to change over time) of actin structures within a cell is maintained by… A. The growth/shrinkage cycle B. Periodic catastrophe C. GTP hydrolysis D. Treadmilling E. None of the abovearrow_forward
- During in vitro polymerization of actin and microtubule filaments from their subunits, what causes the initial delay in filament growth? A.Nucleation B.Reaching homeostasis C.Nucleotide exchange D.ATP or GTP hydrolysis E.Treadmillingarrow_forwardYou expect to find which of the following in the Microtubule Organizing Center (MTOC)...(mark all that apply) A. Gamma tubulin B. XMAP215 C. Centrioles D. Kinesin-13arrow_forwardThe actin-nucleating protein formin has flexible “arms” containing binding sites that help recruit subunits in order to enhance microfilament polymerization. What protein binds these sites? A.Thymosin B.Profilin C.Cofilin D.Actin E.Tropomodulinarrow_forward
- Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems (MindTap ...BiologyISBN:9781285866932Author:Lauralee SherwoodPublisher:Cengage LearningHuman Biology (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781305112100Author:Cecie Starr, Beverly McMillanPublisher:Cengage LearningBiology Today and Tomorrow without Physiology (Mi...BiologyISBN:9781305117396Author:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa StarrPublisher:Cengage Learning
- Concepts of BiologyBiologyISBN:9781938168116Author:Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James WisePublisher:OpenStax College



