Body Fluids and Body Fluid
Compartments
Dr Sabita Kandel
08/03/2080
Introduction
• Body contains both solid and fluid component
• Fluid: 50 to 75% of body weight
• Body fluid varies with gender and age
• Young adult male body: 60 to 65% fluid
• Young adult female body: 50 to 55%
• Water content decreases as the person ages
Body Fluid Compartments
• Total body water is present in two major compartments
1. Intracellular compartments: 40% of total body water
2. Extracellular compartments: 20% of total body water
• Out of 42 L in 70 kg man, 28 L is inside the cells
• 3/4th of the ECF is interstitial fluid and 1/4th of the ECF is
plasma
Fluid Compartments Percentage Volume (liters)
Total body water (TBW) 60 42
Intracellular 40 28
Extracellular 20 14
Plasma 5 3
Interstitial fluid 15 11
Extracellular Fluid
• ECF forms the internal environment of the body
• Vital features such as temperature, pH, osmolarity, glucose
level all should be within the narrow range for optimal function
and survival of cells
• Interstitial fluid has same composition as the plasma except for
proteins
• Plasma is in continuous exchange with interstitial fluid via the
porous capillary membrane making the composition similar.
Blood
• Contains 55% plasma and 45%
red cells
• Blood contains both
extracellular and intracellular
fluid
• Blood volume comprises 7 % of
body weight
• Blood volume is important for
control of cardiovascular
dynamics
Composition of Extracellular and Intracellular
Fluid
• Major cation in the ECF is sodium
• Anions in the ECF are chloride and bicarbonate
• Calcium concentration is ECF is higher than the ICF
• Major cation in the ICF is potassium and magnesium
• Anions in ICF are protein and organic phosphate
Approximate Composition of ECF and ICF
Substance & ECF ICF
Units
Sodium (mEq/L) 140 14
Potassium (mEq/L) 4 120
Calcium, ionized (mEq/L) 2.5 Negligible
Chloride (mEq/L) 105 10
Bicarbonate (mEq/L) 24 10
pH 7.4 7.1
Osmolarity (mosm/L) 290 290
Gibbs Donnan Effect
• Redistribution of small diffusible ions across the semi
permeable membrane due to the presence of non diffusible
ions is called gibbs donnan effect
• Plasma contains proteins whereas interstitial fluid is poor
in protein
• Protein being negatively charged binds cations in the
intravascular compartment whereas repels the anions in the
interstitial fluid
• Due to this plasma is relatively rich in cations whereas
interstitial fluid is relatively rich in anions
Measurement of Volumes of Body Fluid
Compartments
• Indicator dilution Principle
• Indicator substance is injected in the
compartment and allow to disperse
• Extent of dilution of indicator
substance is analyzed based on mass
conservation principle (Mass of
injected substance remains same
despite dilution)
Measurement of Volumes of Specific
Compartments
• Volume of intracellular fluid compartment and interstitial
fluid compartment cannot be measured directly
• Volume of ICF compartment = Volume of TBW- Volume of
ECF
• Volume of TBW: Radioactive water (Tritium oxide), Heavy
water (Deuterium oxide), Aminopyrine
• Volume of ECF: Radioactive Na, radioactive Cl,
radioactive iothalamate, thiosulphate ion and inulin
• Volume of plasma: Serum albumin labelled with
radioactive iodine, evans blue dye