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Fluid balance is an aspect of the homeostasis of organisms in which the amount of water in the organism needs to be controlled, via osmoregulation and behavior, such that the concentrations of electrolytes (salts in solution) in the various body fluids are kept within healthy ranges.
Electrolyte imbalance, or water-electrolyte imbalance, is an abnormality in the concentration of electrolytes in the body. Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis in the body. They help to regulate heart and neurological function, fluid balance , oxygen delivery , acid–base balance and much more.
Osmoregulation is the active regulation of the osmotic pressure of an organism's body fluids, detected by osmoreceptors, to maintain the homeostasis of the organism's water content; that is, it maintains the fluid balance and the concentration of electrolytes (salts in solution which in this case is represented by body fluid) to keep the body fluids from becoming too diluted or concentrated.
The total amount of water in the body needs to be kept in balance. Fluid balance involves keeping the fluid volume stabilized, and also keeping the levels of electrolytes in the extracellular fluid stable. Fluid balance is maintained by the process of osmoregulation and by behavior.
Sodium is the main electrolyte found in extracellular fluid and potassium is the main intracellular electrolyte; [20] both are involved in fluid balance and blood pressure control. [21] All known multicellular lifeforms require a subtle and complex electrolyte balance between the intracellular and extracellular environments. [19]
Plasma osmolality measures the body's electrolyte–water balance. [1] There are several methods for arriving at this quantity through measurement or calculation. Osmolality and osmolarity are measures that are technically different, but functionally the same for normal use.
Aldosterone causes the renal tubules to increase the reabsorption of sodium which in consequence causes the reabsorption of water into the blood, while at the same time causing the excretion of potassium (to maintain electrolyte balance). This increases the volume of extracellular fluid in the body, which also increases blood pressure.
The percentages of body water contained in various fluid compartments add up to total body water (TBW). This water makes up a significant fraction of the human body , both by weight and by volume. Ensuring the right amount of body water is part of fluid balance , an aspect of homeostasis .