Tolerance Limits: Osmoregulation

• Is the process of maintaining salt and water balance across membranes within the body
• Human tolerance limit = 275-295 mOsm
• Water acts as a chemical reactant in many metabolic reactions
• Osmosis works to maintain balance of ions in cells for function
• Osmolarity decreases when water is absorbed and it increases when it is lost
• If osmolarity is above the tolerance limit the cells will swell with water and burst
• If osmolarity below the tolerance level the cells will shrivel as water moves out