Osmolyte
As osmolytes (Engl. Osmolytes ) are substances called that the osmotic influence state of a system, so osmotically active are. This includes ions , proteins, and other soluble substances.
In cell biology , osmolytes are taken to mean those substances that are formed or imported by a cell in a hypertonic environment in order to adjust the osmotic value of the cytosol to the environment. Such a reaction serves to protect the cell from the effects of osmotic stress ( osmotic pressure , volume changes). If the presence of osmolytic substances (in contrast to electrolytes ) does not affect the cell metabolism and the function of the cell proteins, these are also referred to as compatible solutes .
The different mechanisms that lead to an accumulation of osmolytes in the cell (synthesis increase, delayed degradation or import into the cell) are described under the generic term osmolyte strategies .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stefanie Brookmann: Osmolytes and Osmolyte Strategies of Human and Murine Hemotopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells . Inaugural dissertation 2007 German National Library (PDF; 640 kB) .