Why does saline solution exist instead of pure water?

[JimmyEatWorld]

With regard to medical use, why do they inject a saline solution when they could just inject pure water? What about the salty nature of the liquid make a difference? Andybody? it seems like its so simple that I'm missing it

Things I thought about:
1. The Saline raises the blood pressure more than water due to its density but still remains pallatable to the human body?
2. it helps regulate the Ph balance of the blood?

Help doctors and med students

 

[notfred]

Cause blood is salty, so they get the solution as close to the salinity of blood as possible.

 

[Rallispec]

isnt saline salution what people use with contacts?

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: Rallispec
isnt saline salution what people use with contacts?

no it's also used for intraveinous(sp) administration

 

[ElFenix]

blood is more akin to sea water than most things

 

[IcemanJer]

Originally posted by: JimmyEatWorld

Things I thought about:
1. The Saline raises the blood pressure more than water due to its density but still remains pallatable to the human body?
2. it helps regulate the Ph balance of the blood?

You're right on both accounts. The pH for pure water is just slightly off of the pH of our bodies, and would cause the cells to die if pure water gets into our blood stream.

 

[dethman]

because blood has electrolytes. so you need to inject a solution that has a similar concentration.

 

[JimmyEatWorld]

Originally posted by: dethman
because blood has electrolytes. so you need to inject a solution that has a similar concentration.

oh thats right!
plus it would also stop Amino Acids, cus the membranes would be incompatible between cells.
I think.

edit: who knows why I capitalized Amino Acids

 

[tcsenter]

With regard to medical use, why do they inject a saline solution when they could just inject pure water? What about the salty nature of the liquid make a difference? Andybody? it seems like its so simple that I'm missing it.

Well its not "intuitive", but it is simple.

Remember Molarity, Molality, and Normality? pH is a secondary consideration.

 

[Viper GTS]

Causing your cells to "die" would be an understatement, they would swell up like balloons & explode.

Google on cells in a hypotonic solution, you'll see.

One link for you

Viper GTS

 

[Zugzwang152]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Causing your cells to "die" would be an understatement, they would swell up like balloons & explode.

Google on cells in a hypotonic solution, you'll see.

One link for you

Viper GTS

gotta hate osmosis :|

 

[Glitchny]

it exsits to make the lives of people that use contacts annoying due to the fact that the stuff isnt like water, trying to clean it up makes it seem much more like oil, practially sticks to the counter, and if it hardens its cement.. so it has multiple uses