Potassium is normally found at high levels inside cells and…
Potassium is normally found at high levels inside cells and works by leaking out of the cells to restore baseline levels to allow the cells to contract. If a nurse accidentally were to give a patient an IV (intravenous) solution of potassium instead of normal saline (isotonic), this could cause the cardiac muscle cells to stop contracting since the potassium is no longer able to release from the cell leading to a heart attack. Knowing what you do about diffusion and tonicity, explain why the cardiac muscles cells would respond this way.