Electrolytes
Electrolytes
Electrolytes (pronounced: ih-lek-troh-lahyts) are minerals in your body that have an electric charge. They are in your blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids. Electrolytes are important because they help balance the amount of water in your body, balance your body's acid/base (pH) level, move nutrients into your cells, move wastes out of your cells, and make sure that your nerves, muscles, the heart, and the brain work the way they should.
Etymology
The term "electrolyte" comes from the Greek words "electron" meaning amber (from which the word electricity is derived) and "lytos" meaning soluble.
Types of Electrolytes
There are several common electrolytes found in the body, each serving a specific and important role, but most are in some part responsible for maintaining the balance of fluids between the intracellular (inside the cell) and extracellular (outside the cell) environments. These include:
Related Terms
- Dehydration: A harmful reduction in the amount of water in the body.
- Hydration: The process of causing something to absorb water.
- Acidosis: An excessively acid condition of the body fluids or tissues.
- Alkalosis: An excessively alkaline condition of the body fluids or tissues that may cause weakness or cramps.
- Homeostasis: The tendency of the body to seek and maintain a condition of balance or equilibrium within its internal environment, even when faced with external changes.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Electrolytes
- Wikipedia's article - Electrolytes
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