• Question: How are water and salt molecules maintained in the body

    Asked by amyruby to Hitesh, Hywel, Mae, Nik, Tiffany on 14 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Tiffany Taylor

      Tiffany Taylor answered on 14 Jun 2012:

      Water makes up a huge amount of our bodies and we need it to live. We also need salt (in much smaller quantities). Salt is involved in making sure the water balance in your cells is right (too much water they will burst, too little water they will shrivel up). Water can move freely into and out of cells, so to stop too much are too little water going in, the salt is kept at just the right levels so water moves in the right direction (as process called osmosis). If it’s saltier outside the cell than inside, water will move out of the cell. If it’s saltier inside than outside the cell, water will move into the cell. Salt is also important in making your nervous system work properly because it allows signalling.

      So, water is kept everywhere in your body – cells, blood, tissues etc. But salt is more localised to cells and the nervous system.

    • Photo: Hitesh Dave

      Hitesh Dave answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      It is basically called Water balance theory..Our body is covered with major part of water..and we required salts like electrolytes to maintain balance of the body….Osmosis and reverse osmosis process helps in maintaining ratio of water and salt….required salt and water can be reabsorbed through kidney as well….

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