An introduction to kidneys & body fluid Flashcards
what % of body weight does Total body water take up?
60%
what % of body weight does Intracellular water take up?
40%
what % of body weight does extracellular water take up?
20%
What does osmosis of water determine?
The movement of water between ICF and ECF
What is the purpose of osmoregulation?
To prevent large fluid shifts between these compartment.
How is intracellular fluid treated?
Water outside all the cells of the body is not really one compartment, - but can be treated as one.
What two sub-compartments does the ECFV have?
- Plasma (3L)
2. Interstitial fluid (11L)
What do Starling forces determine?
Starling forces determine fluid and solute movement between plasma and interstitial fluid
What is the plasma compartment sometimes called?
Effective circulating volume:
It has to be defended to maintain adequate blood pressure for effective tissue perfusion. Normally it’s around 20% of the ECF.
What is osmolarity?
The total concentration of osmotically active solutes
Why must osmolarity of ECF and ICF be kept the same?
To avoid excessive shifts of water between ECF and ICF
What is the principal electrolyte of the ECF?
Sodium is the principal electrolyte of the ECF, therefore sodium (with associated anions) is the major determinant of ECF osmolarity
How to work out the osmolarity of extracellular Na?
e.g. 140 mmol/L + 140 mmol/L , so 280 mmol/L, - this is because you assume the same amount of anions to the sodium cations.
Why is the ECF the compartment that can be regulated?
- The ECF is continuous
* the ICF in reality is 10^14 individual cellular compartments
ECF Na+ concentration
135-145 mmol/L
ICF Na+ concentration
5-10 mmol/L
ECF K+ concentration
3-5 mmol/L
ICF K+ concentration
130-150 mmol/L
Why is the control of body fluids important?
- Osmoregulation
2. Volume regulation
Why is the control of body fluids important in terms of osmoregulation?
Cell structure: Differences in osmotic pressure between IC and EC will lead to volume shifts, leading in turn to cell and tissue damage and function . – done by regulating the total solutes in the ECF
Why is the control of body fluids important in terms of volume regulation?
Depends on balance between circulating volume (plasma) and interstitial volume: this is done by regulating the total volume of the ECF
Salt and water balance depends on which two key processes
- Osmoregulation: maintain osmotic equilibrium between ICFV and ECFV
- Volume regulation: maintain adequate ECFV to support plasma volume
What is the principal electrolyte contributing to ECFV osmolarity?
Sodium (along with its associated anions)
How can plasma osmolarity be estimated?
2[Na] + 2[K] + [glucose] + [urea] (all in mmol L-1)
- don’t double glucose and urea as they are not an electrolyte, so they don’t have charges