Electrolytes are ions that form when salts dissolve
in water or fluids. These ions have an electric charge.
Positively charged ions are called cations. Negatively
charged ions are called anions.
Electrolytes are not
evenly distributed within the body, and their uneven
distribution allows many important metabolic reactions
to occur. Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+), Calcium
(Ca2+), Magnesium (Mg2+), chloride (Cl-),
phosphate (HPO42-), bicarbonate (HCO3-), and Sulfate
(SO4-) are important electrolytes in humans.
Electrolytes play a critical role in almost every
metabolic reaction in the body. For example, they:
-Help control water balance and fluid distribution in
the body
-Create an electrical gradient across cell membranes
that is necessary for muscle contraction and nerve
transmission
-Regulate the acidity (pH) of the blood
-Help regulate the level of oxygen in the blood
-Are involved in moving nutrients into cells and waste
products out of cells
Water is essential to life. Dehydration occurs
when more water is lost from the body than is
replaced. A loss of 20% of the body’s water can be
fatal.
Water balance and electrolyte concentrations
are closely intertwined. Dehydration is a major cause
of electrolyte imbalances.
When there is an imbalance in electrolytes many systems in the body are
affected and serious, even fatal, health problems can
result.
