Maintaining Equilibrium Conditions in the Organism

Vocabulary flashcards covering the concepts of homeostasis, body water distribution, and daily water balance in the human organism.

Homeostasis

The active process of maintaining stable and balanced internal conditions in an organism, including constant body temperature, blood glucose levels, and the volume and composition of bodily fluids.

Percentage of water in the adult human body

Approximately $60\,\%$ of an adult human's total body mass.

Metabolic water

Water generated inside cells as an end product of metabolic reactions, such as the cellular breakdown of food nutrients, contributing approximately $200\,\text{mL}$ to daily fluid intake.

Daily fluid intake components

The three daily sources of water entering the body, consisting of liquids and beverages ($1500\,\text{mL}$), food ($800\,\text{mL}$), and metabolic water ($200\,\text{mL}$), totaling around $2500\,\text{mL}$.

Daily fluid output routes

The pathways through which water is expelled from the body each day, consisting of urine ($1500\,\text{mL}$), perspiration/sweat ($500\,\text{mL}$), exhaled air from the lungs ($400\,\text{mL}$), and feces ($100\,\text{mL}$), totaling around $2500\,\text{mL}$.

Metabolic waste products

Substances produced during the breakdown of nutrients in cells—such as water ($H_2O$), carbon dioxide ($CO_2$), and urea—that must be regulated and eliminated to maintain equilibrium in bodily fluids.