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Medical Definition of Donnan equilibrium
1. An equilibrium established between a charged, immobile colloid (such as clay, ion exchange resin or cytoplasm) and a solution of electrolyte. Characteristics: ions of like charge to the colloid tend to be excluded, ions of opposite charge tend to be attracted, the colloid compartment is electrically polarized relative to the solution in the same direction as the colloid charges (a Donnan potential) and the osmotic pressure is higher in the colloid compartment. This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology (11 Mar 2008)