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Related Concept Videos

Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure of Solutions02:40

Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure of Solutions

A number of natural and synthetic materials exhibit selective permeation, meaning that only molecules or ions of a certain size, shape, polarity, charge, and so forth, are capable of passing through (permeating) the material. Biological cell membranes provide elegant examples of selective permeation in nature, while dialysis tubing used to remove metabolic wastes from blood is a more simplistic technological example. Regardless of how they may be fabricated, these materials are generally...
Capillary Exchange01:28

Capillary Exchange

The cardiovascular system's chief role is to disseminate gases, nutrients, waste, and other substances to the body's cells. Small molecules like gases, lipids, and lipid-soluble substances directly diffuse through capillary wall endothelial cell membranes. Glucose, amino acids, and ions, including sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride, use transporters for facilitated diffusion via membrane-specific channels. Glucose, ions, and bigger molecules may also pass through intercellular clefts.
Osmosis01:30

Osmosis

Osmosis is the movement of free water molecules through a semipermeable membrane.  The water's concentration gradient across the membrane is inversely proportional to the solutes' concentration. Whereas diffusion transports material across membranes and within cells, osmosis transports only water across a membrane, and the membrane limits the diffusion of solutes in the water. Osmosis is a special case of diffusion.
Water, like other substances, moves from a high concentration of free water...
Osmosis00:47

Osmosis

Approximately 60% to 95% of the weight of living organisms is attributed to water. Therefore, maintaining appropriate water balance within cells is of paramount importance. Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane, such as a cell’s plasma membrane. In living organisms, water plays a crucial role as a solvent—a molecule that dissolves other molecules.
Osmotic Pressure01:26

Osmotic Pressure

Osmosis is a process where solvent molecules move toward a solution through a semipermeable membrane. As the solution dilutes due to the entry of solvent, it expands. This expansion increases the hydrostatic pressure of the solution. When the hydrostatic pressure equals the osmotic pressure, osmosis stops.Osmotic pressure, denoted by Π, is the minimum pressure needed to prevent the solvent from passing into the solution by osmosis. The van 't Hoff equation calculates the osmotic pressure of an...
Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...

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The 'gap' in the 'plasma osmolar gap'.

Alok Arora1

  • 1Frenchay Hospital, North Bristol Hospitals NHS trust, Bristol, UK. alokjarora@hotmail.com

BMJ Case Reports
|August 10, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ethylene glycol poisoning requires prompt diagnosis for effective treatment. Definitive diagnosis relies on measuring serum ethylene glycol and its toxic metabolite, glycolic acid, not just the osmolar gap.

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Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Ethylene glycol poisoning is a life-threatening emergency.
  • Accurate diagnosis is crucial for timely and effective treatment.
  • Standard diagnostic methods like the plasma osmolar gap have limitations.

Observation:

  • The plasma osmolar gap is not always sensitive for detecting ethylene glycol ingestion.
  • The osmolar gap cannot differentiate between various alcohols.
  • Ethylene glycol metabolites cause kidney injury, slowing elimination.

Findings:

  • Measuring serum ethylene glycol and glycolic acid provides a definitive diagnosis.
  • This method is also applicable for methanol poisoning diagnosis.
  • Kidney injury from metabolites complicates ethylene glycol elimination.

Implications:

  • Accurate diagnostic markers are essential for managing poisoning cases.
  • Early detection and treatment can prevent severe morbidity and mortality.
  • Understanding metabolite toxicity aids in developing targeted therapies.