Question

1. people who are stranded at sea are warned not to drink seawater. using your knowledge of biology, explain why it is dangerous to drink seawater. in your answer, be sure to mention whether the seawater is isotonic, hypotonic, or hypertonic, the direction of water movement and the effect is has on the cell.

your answer

Explanation:

Seawater has a much higher solute (salt) concentration than the fluid inside human body cells, so it is hypertonic relative to these cells. When seawater is consumed, the hypertonic environment outside cells creates an osmotic gradient. Water moves out of the cells (from an area of lower solute concentration inside the cell to higher solute concentration outside) via osmosis. This causes the cells to lose water, shrink, and malfunction, particularly affecting cells in the digestive system and kidneys, which are overwhelmed trying to excrete the excess salt, leading to dehydration and organ damage.

Answer:

Seawater is hypertonic compared to human body cells. Due to osmosis, water moves out of the cells (from the lower-solute interior to the higher-solute seawater environment). This causes cells to shrink, malfunction, and leads to severe dehydration and organ damage, making drinking seawater dangerous.