hypertonicity
9.7
A liquid with more salt that draws water out of cells
- noun
- /ˌhaɪpərtəˈnɪsɪti/
- Specialized
:
hipertonicidad
- The hypertonicity of the Dead Sea solution may have a positive effect on the physiology of the nasal mucosa by improving mucociliary clearance.
Examples
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Doctors often explain that hypertonicity can lead to cellular dehydration in patients.
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In biology classes, students learn how hypertonicity affects osmosis and cell behavior.
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The hypertonicity of the saline solution was crucial for the patient's treatment in the hospital.
Antonyms
How Concentrated
Surface Forms
hypertonicity singular
hypertonicities plural
Morphology
hypertonicity = hypertonic (semi-transparent) = hyper + tone + ic + ity
The noun is a regular nominalization of hypertonic, but the scientific meaning is domain-specific and may not be obvious to a general learner.
Etymology
Hypertonicity comes from hyper- 'over' and tonicity meaning how strongly a liquid pulls water from cells. So hypertonicity is when a fluid is 'too strong' and pulls water out of cells, which changes how the cells work.
