Question

Normally, in mammals the body maintains the blood glucose level at a reference range between 3.6 and 5.8 mM (mmol/L). It is tightly regulated as a part of metabolic homeostasis. Explain what would happen if red blood cells were placed into a solution containing 1 mM glucose, and what would be the term that describes this solution?

Answer 1

RBC in the blood remains in the proper disc shape, the blood plasma and the RBC are isotonic so the net movement water across the plasma membrane of the RBC is 0, If RB is placed in a solution containing 1 mM glucose, the concentration of glucose is less than that in the RBC ( concentration of glucose in the RBC is 3.6- 5.8 mM) so water moves from the solution to RBC, so RBC ruptures, the solution is hypotonic compared to the RBC, Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from higher concentration to lower concentration, in the solution concentration of water is greater than that in the RBC.

(the solution is called hypotonic solution)