Water cushions a developing fetus in the mother’s womb as well. Water also protects cells and organs from physical trauma, cushioning the brain within the skull, for example, and protecting the delicate nerve tissue of the eyes. Watery fluids help keep food flowing through the digestive tract, and ensure that the movement of adjacent abdominal organs is friction free. Just as oil lubricates the hinge on a door, water in synovial fluid lubricates the actions of body joints, and water in pleural fluid helps the lungs expand and recoil with breathing. Water is a major component of many of the body’s lubricating fluids. Biological Importance of Water Water as a Lubricant and Cushion Its several roles make water indispensable to human functioning. This water is contained both within the cells and between the cells that make up tissues and organs. Specify the percentage of body fluid volume made up by that compartment.Īs much as 70 percent of a human’s body weight is water.Define the compartment by specifying its location in the human body.For each of the major fluid compartments of the human body:.You may use a calculator if necessary, but must clearly show all your work! Given your (approximate) body weight, calculate the amount of water you contain, in litres.Specify the percentage of body weight that is composed of water and estimate the amount of body water you contain in litres. Describe its importance in the human body.For each of the four biologically important properties of water:.Explain the biological importance of water. At the end of this unit, you should be able to complete all the following tasks, including answering the guiding questions associated with each task.

Diagram body fluid compartments