What is the role of a solvent in a solution?

A solvent is defined as a liquid that has the ability to dissolve other substances, known as solutes, to form a solution. In this context, the solvent generally provides the medium in which the chemical interaction occurs. The most common example of a solvent is water, often referred to as the "universal solvent" due to its ability to dissolve a wide variety of substances. The interactions between the solvent and solute molecules lead to the dissolution process, allowing the solute to disperse and become uniformly distributed within the solvent.

In contrast, the other options describe components or states that do not fulfill the role of a solvent. A dissolved substance refers to the solute, while a solid component would not be a liquid at all, and a gaseous mixture does not describe the liquid state necessary for a solvent's role. Thus, understanding that the solvent is crucial for enabling solutions to form helps clarify its central role in various scientific and medical processes.