CH 27 Flashcards
what is a body fluid?
an aqueous solution produced by the human body containing dissolved solutes
what fraction of body fluid is ICF? ECF?
- 2/3 of body fluids is intracellular
- 1/3 is extracellular
what fraction of ECF is IF? blood plasma?
4/5 of ECF is interstitial fluid
1/5 is blood plasma
what body fluids are interstitial fluid?
- lymph plasma
- cerebrospinal fluid
- synovial fluid
- aqueous and vitreous humour
- pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial fluids
what are the two barriers that separate ICF from ECF?
- plasma membrane surrounding cells
- blood vessel walls
what type of blood vessel is specialized for exchange btwn blood and IF?
capillaries
what structural features specialize capillaries for exchange btwn blood and IF?
- walls are thin and leaky to increase diffusion rates
- extensively branched to increase SA
- small diameter to slow blood flow
what is fluid balance?
a state comprising water and solutes in the right proportions in the right anatomical locations
why do individuals with higher body fat % have less water?
adipose tissue contains only 20% water by mass
what are electrolytes?
inorganic compounds that dissociate in aqueous solution
what determines in what direction water will move across barriers?
the concentration of electrolytes
*where salt goes,water follows!
why is the ability of the kidneys to adjust water loss by producing dilute/concentrated urine crucial to maintaining fluid balance?
fluid and electrolyte intake is rarely equal to body fluid composition
what are the main sources of water gain?
- ingested liquids and moist foods
- metabolic water
what is metabolic water?
water produced from the reduction of oxygen in aerobic respiration (Electron Transport Chain)
what are main sources of water loss?
- urine
- sweat
- exhaled water vapour
- water in feces
what does metabolic water production depend on?
entirely on the rates of aerobic respiration in cells
why is more metabolic water formed when we increase our energy expenditure?
when more ATP is produced by the body, more metabolic water is produced
what is fluid intake controlled by?
thirst centre in hypothalamus
how does hypothalamus sense dehydration?
osmoreceptors in hypothalamus detect increased blood osmolarity
what are other receptors in body that sense dehydration and lead to an increase in thirst?
- volume receptors in atria
- baroreceptors in blood vessels
- angiotensin II signals increase in blood pressure
- sensory neurons in mouth that sense low salivary flow
what is a major stimulus that promotes the sensation of thirst?
an increase in blood osmolarity
why is it important for Na+ to be reabsorbed at the same time water is also reabsorbed?
so the water reabsorbed is not lost again through urinary salt loss, conserving the volume of bodily fluids
why may thirst not act quickly enough to prevent dehydration?
- elderly people/infants may not communicate their needs or understand drives by the body
- their sensations of thirst may not be strong
what is the main determinant of body fluid volume?
urinary salt (NaCl) loss
why is the main determinent of body fluid volume urinary salt (NaCl) loss?
Na+ and Cl- are the most abundant ions present in extracellular
what is the main determinant of body fluid osmolarity?
urinary water loss
what hormone is the major regulator of water loss?
antidiuretic hormone
where is ADH synthesized and stored in the body?
synthesis: neurosecretory cells of anterior and periventricular nuclei of hypothalamus
storage: posterior pituitary
what does ADH do to its target cells?
in principal cells, increases reabsorption of water by increasing permeability to water
- increases expression of aquaporin-2 on plasma membranes of principal cells
what stimulates ADH release into blood by the posterior pituitary?
- dehydration (increased blood osmolarity)
- atrial volume receptors
- baroreceptors in blood vessels
- pain, nausea, stress
what hormones control urinary salt loss?
- Aldosterone
- Atrial Natriuretic Peptide
why do ADH and Aldosterone cooperate to increase blood pressure?
both hormones respond to the same signals (low blood volume, low blood pressure)
how does Atrial Natriuretic Peptide control urinary salt loss?
- leads to natriuresis (excretion of Na+ into urine)
- decreases blood volume, decreases renin release, decreases aldosterone levels
- increases urinary salt and water loss to decrease blood volume
how does Aldosterone control Na+ excretion?
- increases reabsorption of Na+ in DCT and CD - increased blood osmolarity to promote increased blood volume
what is an osmotic consequence of excreting more Na+?
the loss of more water in urine
how does atrial natriuretic peptide inhibit release of aldosterone?
an increase in blood volume slows the release of renin from the kidneys, decreasing aldosterone secretion
What effect does alcohol have on ADH secretion?
inhibits secretion of ADH and promotes diuresis
why doesn’t a cell normally shrink/swell?
the extracellular fluid surrounding the cell and the intracellular fluid inside the cell are isotonic, they have the same osmolarity
what happens if a human cell is placed in a hypertonic environment?
shrinks/shrivels
what happens when you eat an excessively salty meal? why is it bad?
ECF increases in osmolarity
- if prolonged, cells shrink, including neurons → confusion
why may confusion be prevented after ECF has increased osmolarity for a prolonged period of time?
thirst and urinary system cooperate to prevent hypertonic ECF
why do body cells usually shrink only slightly and only for a short duration in response to an increase in the osmolarity of extracellular fluid?
corrective measures (e.g. thirst mechanism and secretion of antidiuretic hormone) increase the amount of body water, reducing the concentration of solutes in extracellular fluid back to normal levels
what will happen if cells are in a hypotonic environment for a prolonged period of time?
they swell and lyse
when do decreases in body fluid osmolarity happen?
- drinking excessive volumes of water that is taken faster than the kidneys can excrete it
- renal function is compromised
what is water intoxication?
when water is consumed at a rate faster than the kidneys can excrete it
- body is flooded with water
- water intake greater than 15mL/min
what does water intoxication lead to?
swelling of body cells, including neurons
- leads to confusion, coma, and eventually death
how do you treat water intoxication?
intravenous rehydration with low concentrations of NaCl salt
(IV drip)
- kidneys can slowly reabsorb the solutes
Why do solutions used for oral rehydration therapy contain a small amount of table salt (NaCl)?
both the salt and water are absorbed in the digestive canal, blood volume increases without a decrease in osmolarity, and water intoxication does not occur.
why do we need electrolytes?
- maintain osmolarity of body fluids
- maintain acid-base balance required for cellular activities
- carry electrical current for graded and action potentials
- act as cofactors for enzyme catalysis
what is a milliequivalent per litre?
charge in one mole of an ion
what electrolytes are abundant in ECF?
- Na+
- Cl-
- Ca2+
- HCO3-
what electrolyes are abundant in ICF?
- K+
- Mg 2+
- HPO4 2-
- SO4 2-
- protein anions
what is responsible for the blood colloid osmotic pressure exerted by blood plasma?
the difference in concentration of protein anions between blood plasma and interstitial fluid
why are there fewer protein anions found in interstitial fluid compared to blood plasma?
normal capillary membranes are impermeable to proteins, so only a few plasma proteins leak out of blood vessels into the interstitial fluid
why do Na+ and Cl- move in same direction?
they are counterions
what kinds of processes require Na+?
- depolarization of neurons and special sensory structures, like photoreceptors
why is dietary intake of Na+ usually higher than required?
because it comprises 90% of cations in ECF and processes that require it are important for normal functioning
level of Na+ during hyponatremia
less than 136mEq/L of Na+
level of Na+ during hypernatremia
greater than 148 mEq/L
why may hypernatremia occur?
- excess Na+ intake
- renal dysfunction
- hyperaldosteronism, which promotes Na+ reabsorption
what occurs during hypernatremia?
- blood osmolarity increases
- blood volume increases
- blood pressure increases
- filtration to tissues increases
what is fluid accumulation in the tissues called?
edema
what happens during hyponatremia?
- blood osmolarity decreases
- excessive water loss
- hypovolemia