Body fluids

The normal body in an average adult male is composed of

• Water (60%)
• Minerals (7%)
• Protein and related substances (18%),
• Fat (15%).
• Total body water (TBW) in an average 70kg adult is 60% of his body weight.
• The total body water is about 10% less in a normal young adult female (average 50%)
due to relatively greater amount of adipose tissue in the females.
• Children has 75% of body weight of TBW
Body fluid compartments:

Intracellular fluid:
• 2/3 of total body water (40%)
Extracellular fluid:
• 1/3 of total body water (20%)
• Plasma – fluid portion (non -cellular component) of blood. Plasma is 5% of body
weight.
• Total blood volume is 8% of body weight. (5% plasma + 3% blood cells)
• Interstitial fluid – fluid present in between the cells (Interstitial space). Interstitial
fluid is 15% of body weight.
• The composition of interstitial fluid is the same as that of plasma except it has little
protein. Thus, interstitial fluid is an ultrafiltrate of plasma.
Transcellular fluid
• It is the fluid contained in the secretions of the secretary cells and cavities of the body
• e.g. saliva, sweat, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), intraocular fluids (aqueous humour and
vitreous humour), pericardial fluid, bile, present between the layers (pleura,
peritoneum and synovial membrane), lacrimal fluid and luminal fluids of the gut,
thyroid and cochlea.
• Transcellular fluid volume is relatively small, about 1.5% of the body weight
Mesenchymal tissue fluid
• The mesenchymal tissues such as dense connective tissue, cartilage and bones contain
about 6% of the body water.
• The interstitial fluid, transcellular fluid and mesenchymal tissue fluid combine to form
75% of ECF.
Measurement of body fluid compartments:
Method – Stewart Hamilton method/ Dye dilution method/ indicator dilution method

Example:
150 mg of sucrose (A1 ) is injected into a 70 kg man
10 mg sucrose (A2 ) has been excreted or metabolized
concentration of plasma sucrose (C) measured is 0.01 mg/ml
Criteria of an ideal indicator
• Should be non-toxic at the concentrations employed
• Should neither synthesized nor metabolized
• Should distribute equally in the compartment to be measured.
• Easy to measure
• Must remain in the compartment to be measured.
Indicator used
Volume Indicator
Total body water Deuterium oxide, tritium oxide, aminopyrine, antipyrine
ECF Inulin(best), sucrose, mannitol, sodium thiosulfate
Plasma Evans dye blue, radiolabelled albumin
Blood Chromium tagged RBCs

Measurement of intracellular fluid (ICF) volume & interstitial fluid volume

The volume of ICF & interstitial fluid volume cannot be measured directly, since there is no
substance which can be confined exclusively to this compartment after intravenous injection.

Distribution of ions in ICF & ECF

Intracellular fluid (ICF)

the main cations are K+ and Mg 2+ & and the main anions are PO4− and proteins
Extracellular fluid (ECF)
The predominant cation is Na + and the principal anions are Cl − and HCO3-