Dehydrated patients are rehydrated with a saline solution that is isotonic to red blood cells. what would you expect to happen to the size of the red blood cells if the patients were rehydrated with pure water instead of saline solution? @Abhisar
@Abhisar

Question

Dehydrated patients are rehydrated with a saline solution that is isotonic to red blood cells. what would you expect to happen to the size of the red blood cells if the patients were rehydrated with pure water instead of saline solution?     @Abhisar 
@Abhisar

aaronq · Answer

Pure water (no solute) is hypotonic to blood, their contact creates a gradient as there is a higher concentration of solute inside than cell in comparison to the outer environment. Water will flow into the cell in an attempt to restore/equalize the solute concentrations and, eventually, the cell will burst.