Assignment:
Question
You are working a shift at the Emergency Room when a patient comes in after losing lots of blood and bodily fluids from a bad accident. A new healthcare professional, on their first day of the job, thinks it's a great idea to give the patient pure water (no sugar or salts). Before this transfusion takes place, you immediately tell them to STOP!
Thinking about osmosis and diffusion, why is it BAD to give the patient pure water?
In your answer, state what type of solution the water is relative to your cells, and explain what would happen to your red blood cells (which have salts and sugars) if they were bathed in a solution of pure water.