Chapter Overview

This chapter presents the roles of several body systems in maintaining proper concentrations of water and electrolytes. Water and electrolyte balance is defined, and the importance of this balance is explained (objective 1). This chapter tells how water enters the body, how it is distributed in various body compartments, and how it leaves the body (objectives 2 and 3). It explains how electrolytes enter and leave the body and how their concentration is regulated (objective 4). This chapter describes acid-base balance, mechanisms regulating this balance, and the etiology and treatment of acid-base disturbances (objectives 5-9).

Water and electrolyte balance affects and is affected by the various chemical interactions of the body. A knowledge of the mechanisms that control fluid and electrolyte concentrations is essential to understanding the nature of the internal environment.