if water moves in both direction (inside and outside a cell), that is, from higher to lower concentration and lower to higher concentration, shouldn’t all solutions be isotonic solutions? Why is it that in some solutions the cell will gain more net water and in some it will lose more net water?
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Well if you have a cell and it has several electrolytes dissolved inside, these can all be different concentrations compared to the outside solution of plasma with all of the electrolytes interacting with water generate osmotic pressure in both directions. Cells will concentrate certain ions when others are low. They are able to find an equilibrium of sorts. But just because there is an osmotic equilibrium doesn’t mean that any of the specific types of electrolytes are isotonic to themselves
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