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padre padre
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10 years ago
What happens to you when you drink salt water?
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10 years ago
The blood concentration of salt increases, specifically hypertonic relative to the intracellular salt concentration.  To return tonic balance between cell and blood salt content, water flows out of the cell, thereby dehydrating the cell.  Excessive consumption of saltwater can cause cells to shrivel and die.

This might seem counterintuitive, but drinking saltwater (assuming it's greater than 0.9% salt) actually makes you more dehydrated/thirstier.
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10 years ago
Quote from: Doctor-2-B (10 years ago)
This might seem counterintuitive, but drinking saltwater (assuming it's greater than 0.9% salt) actually makes you more dehydrated/thirstier.

To a point where you die?
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10 years ago
It is simply osmosis, the diffusion of water across a membrane. Water will move in the direction where there is a high concentration of solute. Salt is a solute when it is concentrated inside or outside of the cell and it will draw the water in its direction. That is why you feel thirsty after you eat something that is salty. In plant cells, the central vacuole loses water and shrinks thus causing wilting. In animal cells, the cells also shrinks. In both cases, the cell may die. That is why drinking salt water will speed up dehydration and death.
padre Author
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10 years ago
What must the concentration be to harm someone?
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Doctor-2-BDoctor-2-B
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padre Author
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10 years ago
Thanks guys..
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