RBC osmolarity

[malishka]

If RBC osmolarity tripled, what would happen to blood cells in the plasma?
- shrink
- swell
- nada

Please help.

My thinking is that plasma cells will shrink, as water will leave plasma and go into RBC, but I am very unsure of it.

[JorgeLobo]

Osmolarity refers to the concentration of solute in solvent - a character of a solution. Can you clarify what you mean by "RBC osmolarity"?

[malishka]

Yes, osmolarity of red blood cells in blood.

So basically the question is, if red blood cell osmolarity increases, will it pull the water from the plasma? Or will the water go from RBC into plasma? Or will there be no change?

My gut feeling is that water will go from plasma into red blood cells... But I don't want to base my answer on the gut feeling alone

[JorgeLobo]

Can someone say how RBC osmolarity would change to such an extent that the environment (plasma) would be affected? By plasma cells - was the poster conisdering additional cellular components being involved?