Isotonicity
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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Isotonicity
relative constancy of osmotic pressure in the fluid media and tissues of the body, a result of the maintenance at a given level of the concentrations of electrolytes, proteins, and other substances.
Isotonicity is one of the body’s most important physiological constants, which are ensured by mechanisms of self-regulation. Deviation of osmotic pressure from the normal physiological level (≈76–0.81 meganewtons per sq m, or 7.6–8.1 atmospheres) leads to the disruption of metabolic processes between the blood and the interstitial fluid.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.