Body Fluids

Total body water

Outside

Internal environment = Extracellular fluid

Fluid Balance
Fluid intake and output are balanced

Intake must balance output for homeostasis to occur

Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane.

Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane.

Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane.

Different body tissues contain different amounts of water (fat ~20%, muscle ~65%). Therefore, the percentage
of water in the body varies…

A healthy woman will have a higher fat content than a healthy man. The greater the fat content the lower the
percentage of water. Females have lower % water due to more adipose tissue.

Bonds

Covalent bond

 Sharing of electrons
 Strong stable bond
 Eg H2O, O2, C6H12O6

Hydrogen bonds

 The attractive force between the hydrogen attached to an electronegative

atom of one molecule and an electronegative atom of a different molecule.
 Often forms between water molecules

Ionic bonds

 Donated or received electrons

 Weaker more unstable bond
 Atoms now charged so called ions
 Eg. NaCl

Electrolyte

Ionic compounds dissolved in water

 Conduct electricity (muscle and nerve function)

 Osmotic pressure (keeping fluids in their own compartment)
 Buffers (resist pH changes in body fluids)

Eg. Na+, Cl-, K+, Ca2+, HCO3-, PO43-

Water

Water is the primary substrate of living organisms

Functions of water:
  Temperature regulation: evaporation from skin and lungs. evaporation has a cooling action
as it takes heat energy from the body to occur
 Protective cushion: Of the brain (CSF), of baby (amniotic fluid)
 Lubricant: synovial fluid: trade off of lubrication vs other properties but water is a pretty
good lubricant.
 Reactant: hydrolysis reactions eg: starch breakdown. Hydrolysis (use of water to break down
molecules such as starch)
 Solvent: eg. dissolves solutes; salts (ions) and nutrients
 Transport: medium for nutrient delivery/waste removal via plasma

Properties of water

1. Water is a charged dipole (the H and O share the electrons unequally so H2O has a +ve and –
ve end) so it can disrupt ionic bonds to dissolve electrolytes and form shells of hydration
(great for dissolving things)
2. The ability to form H-bonds also accounts for the high boiling point, the
high specific heat capacity and latent heat of evaporation and the high
surface tension which are exceptional properties of water
3. High heat capacity means it can absorb and release large quantities of
heat without large change in temperature
 Temperature of water rises and falls slowly
 Though the temperature of the surroundings changes, temperature of the body
changes slowly…

Constituents of body fluids

1. Electrolytes (charged ions dissolved in water): Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl-, proteins (=colloids) which are
negatively charged in solution

2. Non-electrolytes (uncharged): eg. glucose

NB blood cells do not dissolve and therefore are not considered as part of body fluid

Electrolyte content of body fluids

Mammalian plasma ion concentrations (mOsmol/L)

3 main areas of fluid.

Tissue fluid (interstitial) very similar to plasma as the capillary wall is freely permeable. Except
protein higher in plasma (1.2) than tissue fluid (0.2), because of the protein pressure (colloid
pressure). This maintains the plasma volume (proteins in plasma pulls water into plasma).
Intracellular fluid is quite different (because the plasma membrane is a selectively permeable
barrier)

Total osmolarity is the total concentration of electrolytes in the solution (add them up).

The corrected osmolarity is about 20 units lower due to a co-efficient that you have to correct each
component for.

Osmotic pressure (the push-pull of water) is slightly higher in plasma than others due to proteins
(colloid pressure), but similar for interstitial and intracellular (so push and pull of water is balanced)

Take home message 1: Plasma and interstitial fluid very similar.

Take home message 2: Interstitial fluid and intracellular fluid very different.

Sodium high out of cell, low inside cell. Potassium high inside cell, low outside cell. = concentration
gradients, very important for cells.

Proteins even higher inside cells.

Take home message 3: Despite intracellular fluid different composition to outside of cell, the
osmolarity is about the same, therefore the push/pull of water is balanced (iso-osmotic).

Free movement between plasma and interstitial, regulated movement between interstitial and
intracellular.

IMP: Need to learn values for Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl- and protein, and have an awareness of the others
Take home message: Within a fluid compartment the ionic charge balance is equal, even though the number
of ions may differ
 Functions of electrolytes

1. Co-factors
 Ca2+, Mg2+ and Zn2+ act as co-factors for enzyme reactions
 Example: Zn2+ speeds up carbonic anhydrase action
H20 + CO2 ↔ H2C03
2. Contribute to action potential generation (Na+ and K+)
3. Secretion and action of neurotransmitters (Ca2+)
4. Muscle contraction (Ca2+)
5. Acid-base balance (HC03-, phosphate, protein)
6. Primary and secondary active transport
 Examples: Na+/K+ ATPase, glucose co-transport
7. Osmosis: electrolytes and protein promote water movement between fluid compartments
across semi-permeable membranes

Examples

Primary active transport – direct use of ATP to transport uphill

1. Na+/K+ pump
Na+/K+ ATPase actively pumps (3) Na+ out/(2)K+ in to maintain ionic gradients

Secondary active transport – indirect use of ATP to set up a gradient

2. Na+/Glucose co-transporter
Low intracellular Na+ conc maintained by Na+/K+ pump.
Na+ entry drags glucose inside, effectively against its concentration gradient (co-transport).
Important in intestines and kidneys for glucose (re)absorption.

Movement across barriers

Movement through cell membranes (ISF to ICF) occurs either by:
1. Diffusion - transport down concentration gradient, which may be simple or facilitated (passive)
2. Active transport - transport against concentration gradient requiring energy