Kelvin got his wisdom teeth removed and his mouth is swollen. His doctor tells him to rinse his mouth with a warm saltwater solution every few hours. How does the saltwater solution help heal Kelvin's mouth?
a
The salt water is a hypertonic solution, and the swollen cells in Kelvin's mouth will take in water through diffusion.
b
The salt water is a hypotonic solution, and the swollen cells in Kelvin's mouth will take in water through osmosis.
c
The salt water is a hypertonic solution, and the swollen cells in Kelvin's mouth will release water through osmosis.
d
The salt water is a hypotonic solution, and the swollen cells in Kelvin's mouth will release water through diffusion
c
The salt water is a hypertonic solution, and the swollen cells in Kelvin's mouth will release water through osmosis.
When cells are in contact with a hypertonic solution, such as a saltwater solution, the concentration of solutes (in this case, salt) outside the cells is higher than inside. This causes water to move out of the cells through osmosis in an attempt to balance the solute concentration on both sides of the cell membrane. Because the swollen tissues in Kelvin's mouth consist of cells that are likely filled with excess fluid due to inflammation, rinsing with a hypertonic saltwater solution can help reduce swelling by drawing some of that fluid out of the cells.