Bio 168 - Osmosis Lab - Forum - Harbuck, Michael 
	The definitions of both hypertension and "salt" are important if one wants to establish the cause and connection of a substance and its chemical/electrochemical effects on a bioligical system, here the human body.   
	"Salt" here refers to sodium chloride in partucular, as it should be noted that other "salts" are present and used in the human body.  As learned in the Module I, potassium in the form of the potassium ion, IS  sea salt, and found  as well as other foods bound to other compunds, is also an ion associated with the osmotic regulation within the huma body.  One further example of "salts" in the human body are the calcium salts which constitute the connective tissue called bone, as seen in Module II reading.  
	Let us look at the word hypertension and use the literal meanings of this compund noun to derive a mental picture of the actual physical manifestation.  "Hyper-, " here in the sence of "more" or above normal"  is referring to the actual cellular osmotic pressure  created by the dissociated ions of the salt, the +Na ( and other ) ions  While the -"-tension"  is a PHYSICAL push/pull of a cellular membrane.  
So from where comes this force?   Now we hvae the definition of osmosis itself.  
1.  Water is the mediium or matrix of the ionic sulution in our bodies.  
2.  Salt ions are dissolved in this matrix.
3.  Cell membranes divide water into seperate chambers, while allowing the water molocules themsellves to pass ( mostly ) unhindered through each and every one.  
4.  Perhaps a way to visulise the force exerted would be to think of a door which has the ability to swing in both directions.  On each side either an even or uneven number of people attempting to go through the door: a tug of war.    The more people on one side of the door will cause more tension on thier side.  This analogy is highly simplified and one must remenber that is is the ( non-compressable ) WATER which is pushing on the membrane, pushing INTO the higher concentration, as the proverbial goal of osmosis is the equality of CONCENTRATION, not number of ions.   

	To use another analogy, Imagine a worker stacking boxes or moving an object to another location.  Now picture the worker fighting against a very strong wind while attempting to work or move in any direction.   Hypertention in the body, being systemic, meaning pertaining to the entire body and all cells, is  now affecting the work of all cells, some directly, some indirectly.  The power of water in immense.  Ask any surfer.  

Organs in the body whcih regulate water and hence ionic concentrations are the kidney.   The renal glands as they are also called,. contain specific nephritic cells which are purpoely coded to contain structures and feature for the excretion of both water solution as well salts, ions and other soluble matter.  
It would be a very long forum to continue with all the information pertaining to the functinon of the kidneys so hopefully here a basic pysiological  view of how salt in teh body makes tension can be formed and understood.   

1.  The Kidney & Hypertension Center - Providing Compassionate Patient Care. KHC. (2024, July 8). https://khccares.com/ 
2.  Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Nephritic definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nephritic 
3.  Merriam-Webster. (n.d.-b). -nephros definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/-nephros