Regel was an extremely prolific scientist and author. In addition to writing a number of major reference works in botany, he published 3101 articles in academic journals.
A solution is a homogenous mixture of two or more substances that exist in a single phase. There are two main parts to any solution. The solute is the component of a solution that is dissolved in the solvent; it is usually present in a smaller amount than the solvent. The solvent is the component into which the solute is dissolved, and it is usually present in greater concentration. For example, in a solution of salt water, salt is the solute and water is the solvent. In solutions where water is the solvent, the solution is referred to as an aqueous solution. A solution does not have to involve liquids. For instance, air is a solution that consists of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases, and solder is a solution of lead and tin.
A mixture formed when one substance dissolves in another is called a solution. One example is salt water. In a solution, the component substances cannot be distin-guished from each other and they remain evenly distrib-uted throughout; that is, the mixture is homogeneous (ho-mo-JE-ne-us). The dissolving substance, which in the body is water, is the solvent. The substance dis- solved, salt in the case of salt water, is the solute . An aqueous (A-kwe-us) solution is one in which water is the solvent. Aqueous solutions of glucose, salts, or both of these together are used for intravenous fluid treat- ments.