
CHAPTER 
2  Fluids 
and 
Electrol 
tes 
Electrolytes 
Simply 
"atOO 
. • 
1n:I~'''' 
ate ohemical 
i",
.  that  are  imJ'O'la'"  in  maintammg 
OIpIli< 
fuoctioo. n.e NOCefllr.ttioo 
of 
electrolyte> 
i, 
"",,,,,,red in milli",!ui 
.. 
l"n" 
per liter 
of 
fluid (i .•.. mEqlL). Elec1rol
yte> 
carry 
an 
electrical
_l
ike chaQle. 
c.lled 
on 
ionic cllarg<. that  may 
he 
ei!hef 
"",i
tive 
0< 
negative. 
In 
general, 
"",itive
ly 
and 
negatively ch"'lloo 
ion, 
may 
ot
tnrt 
each 
<>!her. 
bond. and form ••. 
it>. 
Fo.-
i
n"""",. 
when sodium (i.e.. 
N.
,) 
meets 
chlorid< (i
.e 
.. 
CI), 
they form 
.ooium 
chloride (i.e 
.. 
NaCl), oth"",,'i,,, known a.  /Db!.  ",II. 
On 
the other h>nd. two 
"",iti, 
.. 
ly  chaQled 
ion. 
th
at 
meet wi
ll 
"I"'I 
each 
othe!, 
'" 
,,'i
ll 
t,,·o negati 
.. 
ly charged 
iOll>. 
CATIONS 
Electrolyte. in body fluid. that ore 
"",i
tively 
ch
a'lloo ate o.lIed 
c.t
i
on 
•. n.e most 
rommon oation, ioclud< 
.ooium 
(i 
.... 
Na'), 
pota 
.. 
ium (i.e 
.. 
K
')
. calcium (i.e 
.. 
Cr'), 
aDd 
magne<ium (i.e 
.. 
Mg"
). 
A. 
noted previooily, 
.ooium 
i. 
the major 
e"~lIu
l 
.. 
eleruol)'tc. 
whe",,,, 
pota>,i
um 
i. 
the major 
intnrellular 
electrolyte. 
ANIONS 
lIody  fluid elec1rol
yte> 
that  are  negati,..,ly  charged are  called 8
Ri
O'" 
n.e most 
rommon onion, ioclude chlorid< 
(i .•.. a  ). bicarbonate (i .•.. 
HCO
, ). 
aDd 
pho>p/la
te 
(i 
.... 
1'0
,
>-
).  Chloride 
>nd 
bicarbonate  are  the  major 
.. 
~lIu
l
ar 
>IIi"",. 
aDd 
pho>phate 
i. 
the main 
intnrellular 
anion. 
Mechanisms 
that 
Maintain 
Fluid and  Electrolyte Balance 
A 
hoot 
of 
mechani.ms 
helps to maintain fluid  and eleetrol)1e b.,
!:i
n"" 
in  the 
body 
aDd 
include 
I'=i", 
lramJ'O'l 
meehani''''', 
adi 
.. 
tra"'P"" 
meehani, ..... 
.oo 
p/ly.iologic  homeootatic mechani.ms.  and 
the", 
... 
di"", 
.. 
oo 
in  the following 
""",on 
•. 
PASSIVE 
TRANSPORT 
"",.i,.., 
tr.ln'J'O'I 
mechani.ms 
do 
not require the body to exl"'oo any ene'EY  in the 
form 
of 
a<lenosi". tripho>phate 
(ATr) 
fC4" 
the mechanism to occur.