Question

When a person in the hospital is given fluid intravenously (an I.V.), the fluid is typically a saline (salt) solution with about the same water concentration as human body tissues. Explain how the
use of distilled water in place of this saline solution would be expected to upset the patient's
homeostasis.

Answer 1

Answer:

Distilled water is hypotonic with respect to the blood plasma of our body.

Explanation:

If distilled water is used in place of saline and injected intravenously then red blood cells of that patient"s body will start to swell as the osmotic pressure of the blood is very much greater than that of distilled water.

     That"s why, to maintain homeostasis 0.9% NaCl is used as saline solution because RBC is isotonic with 0.9% NaCl solution.