Sylvia is suffering from severe edema (an abnormal buildup of serous fluid between tissue cells) in her arms and legs. Her physician prescribes a diuretic (a substance that will increase the volume of urine produced). Why might this help to alleviate Sylvia's problem?
What will be an ideal response?
Increasing the volume of urine produced would decrease the total blood volume of the body. This in turn would lead to a decreased blood hydrostatic pressure. Edema is frequently the result of hydrostatic pressure of the blood exceeding the opposing forces at the capillaries in the affected area. Depending on the actual cause of the edema, decreasing the blood hydrostatic pressure would decrease edema formation and possibly cause some of the fluid to move from the interstitial space back to the blood
You might also like to view...
All the choices below are examples of glial cells, but which one is NOT associated with the central nervous system?
A) Microglia B) Astrocytes C) Schwann cells D) Oligodendrocytes
The mechanism by which the body propels food through the digestive tract is primarily a topic of study for
A. anatomists.?B. physiologists.
Bile salts are
A. amphipathic. B. completely hydrophilic. C. completely hydrophobic.
______ is what occurs when a protein's structure and function is lost because of exposure to extreme heat or chemical factors.
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).