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The sodium–potassium pump, a critical enzyme for regulating sodium and potassium levels in cells. Sodium ions (Na +) are necessary in small amounts for some types of plants, [1] but sodium as a nutrient is more generally needed in larger amounts [1] by animals, due to their use of it for generation of nerve impulses and for maintenance of electrolyte balance and fluid balance.
The concept of the regulation of the internal environment was described by French physiologist Claude Bernard in 1849, and the word homeostasis was coined by Walter Bradford Cannon in 1926. [11] [12] In 1932, Joseph Barcroft a British physiologist, was the first to say that higher brain function required the most stable internal environment.
Aldosterone release causes sodium and water retention, which causes increased blood volume, and a subsequent increase in blood pressure, which is sensed by the baroreceptors. [39] To maintain normal homeostasis these receptors also detect low blood pressure or low blood volume, causing aldosterone to be released.
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.
Homeostasis regulates, among others, the pH, sodium, potassium, and calcium concentrations in the ECF. The volume of body fluid, blood glucose, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels are also tightly homeostatically maintained.
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.
For example, a packet of strawberry flavored Liquid I.V. contains 530 mg of sodium and 380 mg of potassium, whereas Gatorade has around 160 mg of sodium and 50 mg of potassium per 12-ounce serving.
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. Electrolyte imbalances can develop by consuming too little or too much electrolyte as well as excreting too little or too much electrolyte.