Maintaining Fluid and Electrolyte Balance

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There are a tremendous amount of hormones, which in one way or another, influence fluid and electrolyte balance. Two major players are anti-diuretic hormone (vasopressin, ADH) and aldosterone.

ADH is aptly named because of its function: it helps retain water. It does so by selectively affecting certain areas of the tubules of the kidney, shifting the equilibrium of filtration towards water reabsorption, thus less fluid ends up in the formation of urine. It's a hormone that is selectively increased in secretion when the body detects a need for more fluids. Secreted by the posterior pituitary gland, it uses the cardiovascular system to travel to the effector site, mainly the kidneys, to influence water ...