Biochemistery by honor.docx

**UNIVERSITY OF JUBA** **SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY STUDIES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT** **DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND NUTRITION** **CLASS: FOURTH YEAR SEMSTER SEVEN** **COURSE: FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY** **ASSIGMENT NO: 1** **ASSIGMENT TITLE: WATER AND ELECTROLYTES** **STUDENT\`S NAMES** **INDEX NUMBER** --...

**UNIVERSITY OF JUBA** **SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY STUDIES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT** **DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND NUTRITION** **CLASS: FOURTH YEAR SEMSTER SEVEN** **COURSE: FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY** **ASSIGMENT NO: 1** **ASSIGMENT TITLE: WATER AND ELECTROLYTES** **STUDENT\`S NAMES** **INDEX NUMBER** ------------------------ ------------------ **PETER MAPUOR RIEL** **19-CRD-315** **PETER MARIAL AJANG** **19-CRD-316** **TEBUOM KHAN MAGONG** **19-CRD-333** **SANTO MAKUR DENG** **19-CRD-330** **SABRI SOKIRI SIMON** **19-CRD-325** **INSTRUCTOR\`S NAME: SAMUEL LEMI** **SUBMISSION DATE:23^RD^ JULY 2024** **Water and Electrolytes** Water makes up about **60%**of an adult's total body weight. It plays a keys role in many body functions such as chemical reactions, body temperature control, blood volume maintenance, lubrication and protection. Water also serves as a solvent and transport medium. Electrolytes are what help distribute and move water throughout the body. Electrolytes are minerals in your body with an electric charge, **such as sodium, chlorine, potassium, calcium, phosphate and magnesium.** This chapter will review water and electrolyte's functions, the importance of fluid balance and the consequences of disrupting the fluid balance. **What are Electrolytes?** Electrolytes are substances that have a natural positive or negative electrical charge when dissolved in water. **What do Electrolytes do?** Your cells use electrolytes to conduct electrical charges, which is how your muscles contract. Those same electrical charges also help with chemical reactions, especially when it comes to hydration and the balance of fluids inside and outside of the cells. **FUNCTIONS OF WATER IN THE BODY** Water is the most critical of all the nutrients, as its absence proves lethal within a few days. Water is used throughout the body and can be categorized into four basic functions. **1. Transportation** Water is called the "universal solvent" because more substances dissolve in it than any other fluid. Molecules dissolve in water because of the hydrogen and oxygen molecules' ability to loosely bond with other molecules. The solvent action of water allows for substances to be more readily transported. Examples of body fluids containing these solutes include, blood, urine, saliva, bile and pancreatic juice. **2. Chemical Reactions** Water is required for even the most basic chemical reactions. Water is an ideal medium for chemical reactions as it can store a large amount of heat, is electrically neutral and has a pH of 7.0, meaning it is not acidic or basic. **3. Lubrication and Shock Absorption** Water is the main component of the lubricating fluid between joints and ease the movement of bones. The fluid in the eyeball, around the brain and in the spinal cord is primarily water and buffers these organs against sudden environmental changes. Watery fluids surrounding organs provide both chemical and mechanical.  **Fetus approximately 8-10 weeks.** **4. Temperature Regulation** Human life is supported within a narrow range of temperatures. The temperature set point of the body is 98.6°F (37°C). Too low or too high of a temperature causes enzymes and metabolism to halt. Too cold and the muscles fail and hypothermia sets in. At the opposite extreme, if it's too hot, central nervous system fails and death results. The body has multiple ways to move body water around, distribute or share heat and equalize body temperature. **IMPORTANCE OF ELECTROLYTES BALANCE IN THE BODY** While water makes up the largest percentage of body volume, it is not pure water. Instead, it is a mix of water and cells, protein, glucose, electrolytes and other substances. How water moves around within the body is regulated by moving electrolytes in and out of cells. The key electrolytes in the body are, Sodium, Chlorine, and Potassium. **SODIUM** Sodium is the primary regulator of water balance and plays an important role in nerve transmission, muscle contraction, nutrient absorption and reabsorption. The kidneys control how much sodium is in the body. When there is too much sodium present in the body, the kidneys have difficulty getting rid of it, which causes it to build up in the blood. This can lead to high blood pressure and other health problems. **CHLORINE** Chlorine aids in the fluid balance by helping to maintaining neutrality. Chlorine also plays a role in controlling fluid releases such as the flow of pancreatic juice into the small intestine and mucus. Food sources of chlorine include, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, and olives. Chlorine is also found in table salt, sea salt as sodium chlorine and a salt substitute known as potassium chlorine. **POTASSIUM** Potassium is the most abundant positively charged ion inside of cells. It is present in all body tissues and is required for normal cell function due to its role in maintaining fluid balance. It is important for many body functions, including kidneys and heart function, muscle contraction and nerve transmission. Potassium is abundant in fruits and vegetables, which are great food sources include, potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, bananas, orange juice, and vegetables such as root and leafy green vegetables. **CALCIUM** Calcium is a vital mineral that your body uses to stabilize blood pressure and control skeletal muscle contraction. It\'s also uses to build strong bones and teeth. **PHOSPHATE** The kidneys, bones and intestines balance phosphate levels in the body. Phosphate is necessary for various functions and interacts closely with calcium. **MAGNESIUM** Magnesium is a critical mineral that regulates many important functions such as muscle contraction, heart rhythm and nerve function. **CONSEQUENCES OF TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE WATER AND ELECTROLYTES BALANCE IN THE BODY** As with all nutrients, having too much or too little water has health consequences. **OVERHYDRATION** is excessive water intake, not a common situation, which can dilute electrolytes' blood levels. Electrolytes are critical to the body's functioning; the body can become impaired and lead to death. **DEHYDRATION** is having too little water in the body and is quite common. The number one cause of early --childhood death worldwide is diarrhea-induced dehydration. Chronic dehydration is linked to higher incidences of some diseases. There is strong evidence that dehydration increases the risk of kidneys stones and exercise-induced asthma. Additionally, dehydration is the primary cause of heatstroke. Heatstroke is when the body gets so hot that the body's cooling systems cannot correct the situation. **CONCLUSION** Though electrolyte water may have benefits under certain circumstances, regular water is sufficient for meeting your general hydration needs. **REFERENCES** American Academy of Pediatrics. 1981.Sodium intake of infants in the United States. Pediatrics 68:444-445. (PubMed) Dahl, L. K. A. and R. A. Love. 1957.Etiological role of sodium chrone intake in essential hypertension in humans. J. Am. Mrs. Assoc. 164-397(pubmed) Buskirk, E. R., and J. Mendez. 1967. Nutrition, environment and work performance with special reference to altitude. Fed. Proc. 26:1760-1767. Cooke, R. E., E. L. Pratt, and D. C. Darrow. 1950. Metabolic response to heat stress. Yale J. Biol. Med. 22:227. (PMC free article) (PubMed). American Academy of Pediatrics. 1985.Pediatric Nutrition Handbook, 2nd Ed. American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village III.