colloid osmotic pressure
That part of the osmotic pressure exerted by a solution that is due to dissolved colloids. See osmotic pressure (def. 1).
Epsom salts
Magnesium sulphate, originally found in a mineral spring in Epsom, Surrey, England; acts as a laxative (see laxative, osmotic) because the osmotic pressure of the solution causes it to retain water ...
hypertonic
adj. 1. describing a solution that has a greater osmotic pressure than another solution. See osmosis. 2. describing muscles that demonstrate an abnormal increase in tonicity.1. describing a solution ...
hypotonia
A disorder in which muscle tone, the resistance to movement, is poor and there may be muscle weakness. Can arise from a variety of causes.
hypotonic
adj. 1. describing a solution that has a lower osmotic pressure than another solution. See osmosis. 2. describing muscles that demonstrate diminished tonicity.1. describing a solution that has a ...
intracellular thirst
A form of thirst arising from depletion of fluid within cells and triggered by osmoreceptors (2), as after ingestion of salt, which accumulates in the extracellular fluid and creates osmotic ...
isosmotic
or(of two or more solutions) having equal osmotic pressure; having the same osmotic pressure as another solution. See also isotonic (def. 2).
isotonic
adj.1. describing solutions that have the same osmotic pressure. See osmosis. 2. describing muscles that have equal tonicity.1. describing solutions that have the same osmotic pressure. See osmosis. ...
osmophilic
Applied to organisms that grow best in habitats containing relatively high concentrations of salts or sugars, i.e. those having a relatively high osmotic pressure.
osmoreceptor
n. a group of cells in the hypothalamus that monitor blood concentration. Should this increase abnormally, as in dehydration, the osmoreceptors send nerve impulses to the hypothalamus, which then ...
osmoregulation
The control of the water content and the concentration of salts in the body of an animal or protist (see osmoregulator). In freshwater species osmoregulation must counteract the tendency for water to ...
osmosis
The movement of water or of another solvent from a region of low solute concentration to one of higher concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. It is an important mechanism in the uptake of ...
osmosis, reverse
The passage of water from a more concentrated to a less concentrated solution through a semi-permeable membrane by the application of hydrostatic pressure to overcome the osmotic pressure. Used for ...
osmotic potential
The part of the water potential of a tissue that results from the presence of solute particles. It is equivalent to osmotic pressure in concept but opposite in sign.
salt marsh
Vegetation often found on mud banks formed at river mouths, showing regular zonation reflecting the length of time different areas are inundated by tides. Sea water has a high salt content which ...
sodium pump
A mechanism by which sodium ions are transported out of a eukaryotic cell across the plasma membrane. The process requires energy in the form of ATP, being a form of active transport. The most ...
stenohaline
Applied to organisms that are very sensitive to changes in salinity; i.e. they are unable to tolerate a wide range of osmotic pressures. Compare euryhaline.
sweets, tooth-friendly
Name given to confectionery made with sugar alcohols, which do not ferment in the mouth and so do not damage teeth; the term originated in Switzerland. Sugar alcohols can have a laxative effect if ...
tonicity
n.1. the normal state of slight contraction, or readiness to contract, of healthy muscle fibres. 2. the effective osmotic pressure of a solution. see hypertonic, hypotonic, osmosis.1. the normal ...
