| hypotonic | 1. Having a lesser degree of tension. 2. Having a lesser osmotic pressure than a reference solution, which is ordinarily assumed to be blood plasma or interstitial fluid; more specifically, refers to a fluid in which cells would swell. Synonym: hypoisotonic. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| hypotonic solution | <chemistry> Any solution which has a lower osmotic pressure than another solution (that is, has a lower concentration of solutes than another solution). A solution that contains a lower concentration of solutes than the cells that it is bathing, so that water flows into the cells from the solution by osmosis. Compare: hypertonic solution. (09 Oct 1997) |
| hypotonic solutions | Solutions having a lower osmotic pressure than blood, or another solution with which they are compared. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hypotonicity | <physiology> Diminished muscle tone, limp muscles. (16 Dec 1997) |