A nurse is caring for a patient who is suffering from kidney failure and is receiving peritoneal dialysis

Question

The nurse explains that peritoneal dialysis works by instilling a solution into the abdomen that contains dextrose that will pull extra fluid into the abdominal cavity. What is the name of this process? a. Diffusion
b. Osmosis
c. Filtration
d. Active transport

Answer 1

B
Osmosis is movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from a compartment of lower particle concentration to one that has a higher particle concentration. Diffusion is passive movement of electrolytes or other particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. In other words, the electrolytes move down their concentration gradient until the electrolyte concentration is equal in all areas. Electrolytes cannot diffuse across cell membranes unless the membranes have proteins that serve as ion channels. Filtration is the net effect of several forces that tend to move fluid across a membrane. Active transport is the energy-requiring movement of electrolytes or other substances across cell membranes against their concentration gradient (from an area of low concentration to an area of higher concentration).