 Welcome to Osmotic Pressure. In this object you will see an illustration to show how a greater number of particles in a blood vessel increases osmotic or pulling pressure. Let's begin with two mesh bags. Imagine each to be a blood vessel. Alongside each bag are measuring cups holding colored sponges. Each color sponge represents a solute that is identified in the key above. Now we have dissolved the solutes into each blood vessel. Blood vessel A has twice as many solutes as blood vessel B. Each bag is filled with particles similar to a person's blood with albumin, sodium, and glucose. We are now ready to check the osmotic or pulling pressure. To check the osmotic pressure we dip each vessel into a bucket of water. Now it is time to measure the fluid in each of our blood vessels. We'll squeeze out each bag over a measuring cup to measure the amount of liquid. Blood vessel A had twice the pulling power. Similarly a bloodstream with higher levels of albumin, sodium, and glucose would also have a higher degree of pulling. The higher the osmolarity the greater the pulling power. Now see if you can answer the following two questions about osmotic pressure in blood vessels. Knowing that the normal albumin range in blood is between 3.4 and 5.4 grams per deciliter, if a client has a serum albumin of 1.9 grams per deciliter, would fluid be more likely to enter and stay in the vessel or leave it? This albumin level is below normal, so there is less pulling pressure in the vessel. This means the fluid will leave. Knowing that the normal fasting blood glucose level is less than 100 milligrams per deciliter, if a client has a serum glucose level of 566 milligrams per deciliter, would fluid be more likely to enter and stay in the vessel or leave it? Because the level is above normal fluid will stay in the vessel. In fact fluid will be pulled from the tissue into the vessel. This can dehydrate the cells. Congratulations! You have completed the learning object osmotic pressure.