Question

Which of these solutions more closely resembles the tonicity of blood plasma - 0.9?

1) 0.5
2) 1.5
3) 2.0
4) 3.0

Answer 1

Among the options provided, a 0.5% solution more closely resembles the tonicity of blood plasma compared to 1.5%, 2.0%, or 3.0% solutions, as typical isotonic solutions are around 0.9% NaCl, and options higher than 0.5% are hypertonic.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks which solution more closely resembles the tonicity of blood plasma if typical isotonic solutions are 0.9% m/v NaCl or 5% m/v glucose solution. The options provided are 0.5, 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0. We are looking for a solution with an osmolarity similar to that of blood plasma. Since blood plasma is isotonic at around 0.9%, the solution that is closest to this concentration is 0.9% NaCl. Thus, among the options provided, 0.5 is the closest to the tonicity of blood plasma. Solutions with higher solute concentrations than blood plasma, such as 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0, are hypertonic, which would cause red blood cells to crenate or shrink as water flows out of the cells in an effort to balance the solute concentrations across the membrane.