The Two Major Fluid Compartments In The Body

Intracellular and extracellular are the 2 major fluid compartments in the body. Extracellular contains intravascular and interstitial body parts. The intracellular compartment is known as the fluid inside of the cell. Extracellular is fluid outside of the cell which consists of the Intravascular which is the fluid located in the vessel and interstitial which is fluid between the vessel and the cell. Each compartment encompasses a certain amount of fluid proportionate for the size of one’s body and the size of the compartment. The extracellular fluid holds 20% of one’s body weight and the intracellular contains 40%.

The amount of fluid in one’s body must be maintained for adequate function. If the fluid becomes excessive then it will dilute the sodium inside the body and cause electrolyte imbalances which will affect systems such as the central nervous system and cardiovascular system. This is a result of the extracellular space containing more fluid than the intracellular space in relation to fluid movement trying to maintain balance due to the lack of sodium and excess fluid.

Active transport requires energy for the effective movement of particles to be moved from one space to another. This action must have energy in the form of ATP because it is flowing opposite of its natural tendency. Therefore, this form of transport needs energy because it flows from low to high concentration, whereas passive transport moves particles from high to low concentration, not requ the purpose of osmosis is to balance the fluid on both sides of the membrane. and diffusion’s purpose is to balance the concentration of solutes on both sides of the