Sci241 Week 5 Paper Dehydration
The Mechanics of Water
The Science of Nutrition
Perhaps you have heard the phrase “water is life”. When it comes to the human body, nothing could be more accurate. The system of fluids in the body that water affects controls everything from nerve impulse to movement; it is even part of the very structure of our bodies. The following will discuss the vital connection between different systems in the body and how they use water to maintain proper health and function. We will discuss what happens to the body when we intake too much water (water toxicity), likewise when we lose or intake too little (dehydration).
Why is water essential to health maintenance? Water is the “great regulator” in the body. It has several functions: to dissolve nutrients and move them throughout the body, to flush and carry waste particles from the body, and to assist in regulating pressure across all systems within the body. So, where is the water in our bodies? It is estimated the over half your body weight is comprised of water. Men actually tend to carry more water as they tend to have higher muscle mass: about 60 to 65% water. Muscle tissue is comprised of about 75% water. Women fall somewhere between 50 and 60% of water weight (Grosvenor, Smolin, 2006). Water is in the cells that make up tissue and organs: even in our bones. The water inside cells is called intracellular fluid and passes through the walls of cells with the assistance of proteins, sodium, and potassium which are dissolved in the body. This ebb and flow of intracellular fluid controls the levels of dissolved substances in the different compartments of the body. When particle concentrations are too high, water flows in to dilute, lowering the concentration to a proper level. When too low, water flows away from the compartment, thus raising the concentration. This process of diffusion is called osmosis. Osmosis is a mechanism in nature by which water in an organism is used to balance dissolved particle
The Science of Nutrition
Perhaps you have heard the phrase “water is life”. When it comes to the human body, nothing could be more accurate. The system of fluids in the body that water affects controls everything from nerve impulse to movement; it is even part of the very structure of our bodies. The following will discuss the vital connection between different systems in the body and how they use water to maintain proper health and function. We will discuss what happens to the body when we intake too much water (water toxicity), likewise when we lose or intake too little (dehydration).
Why is water essential to health maintenance? Water is the “great regulator” in the body. It has several functions: to dissolve nutrients and move them throughout the body, to flush and carry waste particles from the body, and to assist in regulating pressure across all systems within the body. So, where is the water in our bodies? It is estimated the over half your body weight is comprised of water. Men actually tend to carry more water as they tend to have higher muscle mass: about 60 to 65% water. Muscle tissue is comprised of about 75% water. Women fall somewhere between 50 and 60% of water weight (Grosvenor, Smolin, 2006). Water is in the cells that make up tissue and organs: even in our bones. The water inside cells is called intracellular fluid and passes through the walls of cells with the assistance of proteins, sodium, and potassium which are dissolved in the body. This ebb and flow of intracellular fluid controls the levels of dissolved substances in the different compartments of the body. When particle concentrations are too high, water flows in to dilute, lowering the concentration to a proper level. When too low, water flows away from the compartment, thus raising the concentration. This process of diffusion is called osmosis. Osmosis is a mechanism in nature by which water in an organism is used to balance dissolved particle
References: Grosvenor, Smolin. (2006). Water and Minerals. In L. S. M.B. Grosvenor, Nutrition: Everyday choices. (pp. 282,285,287). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2007, January 7). Dehydration. Retrieved July 11, 2011, from The Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dehydration/DS00561 WebMD. (2010, February 24). Health and Fitness: Dehydration- Prevention. Retrieved July 11, 2011, from WEbMD.com: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/tc/dehydration-prevention