| osmolal clearance | The volume of urine that would be excreted per minute if the urinary solutes were accompanied by just enough water to make the urine isosmotic with plasma, i.e., so that the solute excretion did not change the osmolality of body fluids. To calculate it, the volume of urine excreted per minute is multiplied by the urinary osmolality (usually measured by freezing point depression) and divided by the plasma osmolality. Osmolal clearance is less than actual urine flow when urine is hyposmotic and exceeds it when urine is hyperosmotic. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| osmolality | <chemistry> The concentration of osmotically active particles in solution expressed in terms of osmoles of solute per kilogram of solvent. The osmolality is directly proportional to the colligative properties of solutions, osmotic pressure, boiling point elevation, freezing point depression and vapour pressure lowering. (18 Nov 1997) |
| osmolar | <chemistry> Pertaining to or of the nature of osmosis (= the passage of pure solvent from a solution of lesser to one of greater solute concentration when the two solutions are separated by a membrane which selectively prevents the passage of solute molecules, but is permeable to the solvent). (18 Nov 1997) |
| osmolar concentration | The concentration of osmotically active particles in solution expressed in terms of osmoles of solute per liter of solution. Osmolality is expressed in terms of osmoles of solute per kilogram of solvent. (12 Dec 1998) |
| osmolarity | <chemistry> The concentration of osmotically active particles expressed in terms of osmoles of solute per litre of solution. (18 Nov 1997) |
| osmole | The molecular weight of a solute, in grams, divided by the number of ions or particles into which it dissociates in solution. (05 Mar 2000) |
| osmology | 1. The study of odours, their production, and their effects. Synonym: osphresiology. 2. The study of osmosis. (05 Mar 2000) |