Dehydration?
Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at
10:10 AM
o Why is water essential to health maintenance?
o What are the functions of water in the body?
o What happens to the body when it does not get the water it needs?
o Compare and contrast how different electrolytes—sodium, potassium, and chloride—
function in the body.
o What effects can alcohol and caffeine have on hydration levels in the body?
o What steps can people take to ensure they do not become dehydrated?
Filed under: Potassium and Being Sick
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- Water maintains the balance of ions to keep the ion concentrations at isotonic levels and it also is needed to excrete wastes. It is also a component of many things in the body, such as saliva and blood. Hydrolysis also could not occur without water. When the body lacks water, cells will lose water, as the salt content in the blood will rise, making the blood hypertonic and forcing water out of the cells. Eventually, there will not be enough water to hydrolyze sugars into glucose and the person dies.
- Sodium and potassium are closely related in that they are the electrolytes that affect the circulatory system. Sodium increases blood pressure, while potassium lowers blood pressure. Chlorine is used in the form of HCl in the stomach to chemically break down food and kill bacteria.
- Alcohol and caffeine can dehydrate as they prevent reabsorption of water from the kidneys into the blood.
- To avoid dehydration, avoid sweating, drink lots of water and avoid diarrhea.