Electrolytes Flashcards
What are ions capable of carrying an electric charge called?
Electrolytes
Electrolytes include both cations and anions.
What is referred to as electroneutrality?
The balance of charges in a fluid
Fluids contain equal numbers of cations and anions.
What are the positively charged electrolytes called?
Cations
Cations move toward the cathode.
What are the negatively charged electrolytes called?
Anions
Anions move toward the anode.
What is the major extracellular cation known as?
Sodium
Sodium is also known as ‘natrium’.
What is the major contributor to plasma osmolality?
Sodium
Plasma osmolality is influenced by electrolyte concentrations.
Which anticoagulants are suitable when plasma is used?
Lithium heparin, ammonium heparin, lithium oxalate
These anticoagulants prevent clotting in plasma samples.
Does hemolysis significantly change serum or plasma sodium values?
No, typically it does not cause significant changes
However, marked hemolysis can decrease levels due to dilution.
What is the method that measures sodium and potassium using light emitted by heated atoms?
Flame Emission Photometry
This method utilizes excitation by heat energy.
What is the method that measures the amount of light absorbed by ground state atoms?
Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
This method uses a hollow cathode lamp as a light source.
What is the light emitted by sodium when using Flame Emission Photometry?
Yellow Light
This is a characteristic emission for sodium.
What does an ion-selective electrode use to develop a potential?
A semipermeable membrane
The membrane creates different ion concentrations on either side.
What is the internal electrolyte used in sodium determination procedures?
Ag/AgCl
This is a common reference electrode.
What is the wavelength used in sodium determination?
550 nm
This wavelength is specific for detecting sodium in the sample.
Fill in the blank: The standard unit for sodium measurement is _______.
mmol/L
This unit is commonly used for electrolytes.
What complex is formed when sodium ions are complexed by a dye?
Lavender complex
This color change indicates the presence of sodium.
What is the incubation time for sodium determination at room temperature?
1 minute
This allows for adequate reaction time.
What is the delay time before reading the spectrophotometric data?
10 seconds
This allows for stabilization of the measurement.
