Homeostasis: Water in the Body

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Water makes up about 60 percent of your body weight and is involved in almost every process that is essential for life. It is an extremely important and indispensable solvent for all the body functions . It acts as a solvent in the body for thousands of substances both organic and inorganic. It is essential for the production of digestive juices. It helps in the transportation of digested foods and oxygen throughout the body. Blood which cirulates throughout our body comprises of a lot of water. It is essential for all the body cells, as it supplies oxygen without which the cells would die, ultimately leading to death. It also enables the excretion of soluble wastes from the body, and maintains the temperature of our body. Thus, it can be concluded that water is essential for maintaining our health.

Water carries out the following functions in the body:
It moistens tissues such as those in teh mouth, eyes, nose.
It protects body tissues and organs.
It helps to prevent constipation.
It helps in dissolving minerals and other nutrients to make them available to the body.
It regulates our body temperature, and lubricates the bone tissues and joints, thus protects our body from injuries.
It lessens the burden on our kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products.
It carries nutrients and oxygen to all the cells of our body.
It maintains the flow of lymphatic fluid and defends the body against infections.

Our body should be supplied with at least eight glasses of water everyday. If an individial fails to consume the necessary amount of water, the body ...