Electrolytes

Best Healthy Diet Snacks Slideshow

• Electrolytes Overview
• Sodium (Na)
• Conditions of Sodium Imbalance
• Symptoms of Sodium Imbalance
• Potassium (K)
• Conditions of Potassium Imbalance
• Calcium (Ca)
• Conditions of Calcium Imbalance
• Bicarbonate (HCO3)
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Electrolytes Overview

Electrolytes are the smallest of chemicals that allow the body to work. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and others are critical in allowing cells to function. They generate electricity, contract muscles, move water and fluids within the body, and participate in myriad other activities.

The concentration of electrolytes in the body is controlled by a variety of hormones, most of which are manufactured in the kidney and the adrenal glands. Sensors in specialized kidney cells monitor the amount of sodium, potassium, and water in the bloodstream. The body functions in a very narrow range of normal, and it is hormones like renin (made in the kidney), angiotensin (from the lung, brain and heart), aldosterone (from the adrenal gland), and antidiuretic hormone (from the pituitary) that keep the electrolyte balance within those limits.

Keeping electrolyte concentrations in balance also includes stimulating the thirst mechanism when the body gets dehydrated.