Electrolytes

Question 1

What is a solute?

Answer 1

A substance dissolved in a solvent to create a solution

Question 2

What are electrolytes?

Answer 2

Substances with molecules that dissociate or split into ions when placed in water

Question 3

Are cations positively or negatively charged?

Answer 3

Positively charged

Question 4

Are anions positively or negatively charged?

Answer 4

Negatively charged

Question 5

What is osmotic pressure?

Answer 5

The “power” of a solution to draw water through a selectively permeable membrane

Question 6

Across a selectively permeable membrane, will a greater osmotic pressure be exerted by the high concentration solution or the lower concentration solution?

Answer 6

The higher concentration solution will exert a higher osmotic pressure, drawing water towards itself through the membrane

Question 7

Filtration pressure is the net of which two pressures?

Answer 7

Hydrostatic pressure and oncotic/colloid osmotic pressure

Question 8

Hydrostatic pressure in capillaries is the result of what?

Answer 8

Blood pressure from the arterial system

Question 9

Oncotic/colloid osmotic pressure in capillaries is the result of what?

Answer 9

The presence of proteins that cannot move out of the capillaries (primarily albumin)

Question 10

Does hydrostatic pressure drive fluids into or out of the capillaries?

Answer 10

Hydrostatic pressure drives fluid out of capillaries

Question 11

Does oncotic/colloid osmotic pressure drive fluids into or out of the capillaries?

Answer 11

Oncotic/colloid osmotic pressure drives fluids into capillaries

Question 12

What is the tonicity of a solution with the same osmolarity as body fluids?

Answer 12

Isotonic

e.g. 0.9% NaCl

Question 13

What is the tonicity of a solution with a higher osmolarity than body fluids?

Answer 13

Hypertonic

e.g. 3% NaCl

Question 14

What is the tonicity of a solution with a lower osmolarity than body fluids?

Answer 14

Hypotonic

e.g. 0.45% NaCl

Question 15

Low blood volume is called what?

Answer 15

Hypovolemia

Question 16

High blood volume is called what?

Answer 16

Hypervolemia

Question 17

The loss of water without electrolyte loss is called what?

Answer 17

Dehydration

Question 18

When the concentration of electrolytes in blood is too low, this is called what?

Answer 18

Water intoxication (Overhydration)

Question 19

What percentage of total body weight is from fluid?

Answer 19

60%

Question 20

Of the fluid in the body, how much is intracellular?

Answer 20

2/3 of the fluid in the body is intracellular (40% of total body weight)

Question 21

Of the fluid in the body, how much is extracellular?

Answer 21

1/3 of the fluid in the body is extracellular (20% of total body weight)

Question 22

Of the extracellular fluid, how much is interstitial fluid?

Answer 22

3/4 of extracellular fluid in the body is interstitial fluid (15% of total body weight)

Question 23

Of the extracellular fluid, how much is vascular?

Answer 23

1/4 of extracellular fluid is vascular (5% of total body weight)

Question 24

What are the four extracellular fluid compartments?

Answer 24

Intravascular (cardiovascular system), Interstitial, Lymph and Transcellular (Serous fluid, synovial fluid etc.)

Question 25

What is the healthy range for sodium blood concentration?

Answer 25

135-145 mEq/L

Question 26

Is sodium mainly an extracellular cation or intracellular cation?

Answer 26

Extracellular

Question 27

What roles does sodium play a part in?

Answer 27

Water balance (Where sodium goes, water flows), and transmission of nerve impulses

Question 28

Is sodium stored in the body?

Answer 28

No, it must be consumed daily

Question 29

A blood concentration of sodium above 145 mEq/L is called what?

Answer 29

Hypernatremia

Question 30

A blood concentration of sodium below 135 mEq/L is called what?

Answer 30

Hyponatremia

Question 31

Hyponatremia can cause what symptoms?

Answer 31

Drowsiness, confusion and varying effects on consciousness depending on severity (impaired neural impulses due to less sodium)

Question 32

What is the healthy range for potassium blood concentration?

Answer 32

3.5-5.0 mEq/L

Question 33

Is potassium mainly an extracellular or intracellular cation?

Answer 33

Intracellular

Question 34

What roles does potassium play a part in?

Answer 34

Electrical conduction of nerve impulses (especially cardiac conduction), cell metabolism of glycogen and glucose

Question 35

What can low potassium levels cause?

Answer 35

Arrhythmia

Question 36

What can high potassium levels cause?

Answer 36

Cardiac arrest

Question 37

Is potassium stored in the body?

Answer 37

Yes, in cells and bones

Question 38

The sodium potassium pump does what?

Answer 38

It transports 3 intracellular sodium ions out of the cell and 2 extracellular potassium ions into the cell with every ATP phosphorylation, creating an electrical gradient across the cell membrane

Question 39

What is a healthy range for blood calcium concentration?

Answer 39

8.5-10.5mg/dl (1% in extracellular fluid)

Question 40

What roles does calcium play a part in?

Answer 40

Skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscle contraction and blood clotting

Question 41

What does calcium need to be absorbed by the body? How does the body get this?

Answer 41

Vitamin D is required for calcium absorption, which requires sunlight for synthesis in the body

Question 42

Is calcium stored in the body?

Answer 42

Yes, in cells and bones

Question 43

What can cause hypocalcemia?

Answer 43

Vitamin D deficiency, burns (among other things)

Question 44

What can cause hypercalcemia?

Answer 44

Hyperparathyroidism

Question 45

What are some symptoms of hypercalcemia?

Answer 45

Increased musculoskeletal excitability, stupor (near unconsciousness or insensibility) and coma

Question 46

What is a healthy range for blood phosphate concentration?

Answer 46

1.6-2.9 mEq/L

Question 47

What roles does phosphate play a part in?

Answer 47

Metabolism of carbs, protein and fat, cellular metabolism (ATP and DNA), muscle, nerve and red blood cell function, acid base balance and calcium regulation

Question 48

What is a low phosphate blood concentration called?

Answer 48

Hypophosphatemia

Question 49

What is a high phosphate blood concentration called?

Answer 49

Hyperphosphatemia

Question 50

What can cause hypophosphatemia?

Answer 50

Alcohol abuse, acid-base imbalance, increased urine output and decreased intestinal absorption

Question 51

What can cause hyperphosphatemia?

Answer 51

Tissue trauma (damaged tissues may lock phosphate within them)

Question 52

What is a healthy range for blood magnesium concentration?

Answer 52

1.5-2.5 mEq/L

Question 53

What roles does magnesium play a part in?

Answer 53

Operation of the sodium potassium pump (allowing it to use ATP), Muscle relaxing, transmitting nerve impulses, regulating cardiac function, blood clotting and protein and DNA synthesis

Question 54

What can cause hypomagnesium?

Answer 54

Alcohol abuse, diarrhoea, vomiting

Question 55

What tachycardia can hypomagnesium cause?

Answer 55

Torsade De Pointes

Question 56

What can cause hypermagnesium?

Answer 56

Too many antacids (antacids often contain magnesium)

Question 57

What major role does bicarbonate play a part in?

Answer 57

Carbonic acid/acid-bicarbonate buffering system

Question 58

Where is bicarbonate regulated and controlled?

Answer 58

In the kidneys, which reabsorb and excrete bicarbonate as needed