Total body water:

 Lean tissue (fat free tissue ) = 0.72 L/Kg as fat

is relatively frre of water .

 TBW in males = 0.6 L/Kg i.e water content =

60% of the body weight .

 TBW in females = 0.51 L/Kg i.e water content

= 51% of the body weight .

 TBW in obese persons = 0.45 L/Kg i.e water

content = 45% of the body weight.
3 Liters

12 Liters

25 Liters
15

12 Liters

25 Liters
 Blood contains both extracellular fluid
(the fluid in plasma) and intracellular
fluid (the fluid in the red blood cells).

 The average blood volume of adults is

about 8 per cent of body weight, or 3
Liters / meter square surface area or
about 5 liters.
 About 55-60 per cent of the blood is
plasma and 40-45 per cent is red
blood cells, but these percentages
can vary considerably in different
people, depending on gender, weight,
and other factors.
Plasma = Less Dense

Platelets / WBC’s

Hematocrit
“Packed Cells”
More Dense
 Indicator – Dilution method
 The volume of a fluid compartment in the body can be
measured by placing an indicator substance in the
compartment, allowing it to disperse evenly throughout
the compartment’s fluid, and then analyzing the extent to
which the substance becomes diluted.
 “indicator-dilution” method of measuring the volume of
a fluid compartment, which is based on the principle of
conservation of mass.
 This means that the total mass of a substance after
dispersion in the fluid compartment will be the same as
the total mass injected into the compartment.
 If none of the substance leaks out of the
compartment, the total mass of substance in the
compartment (Volume B × Concentration B)
will equal the total mass of the substance
injected (Volume A × Concentration A). By
simple rearrangement of the equa-tion, one can
calculate the unknown volume of chamber B
as :
For example, if 1 milliliter of a solution
containing 10 mg/ml of dye is dispersed
into chamber B and the final
concentration in the chamber is 0.01
milligram for each milliliter of fluid, the
unknown volume of the chamber can be
calculated as follows:
This method can be used to measure the
volume of virtually any compartment in the
body as long as :

 (1) The indicator disperses evenly throughout the

compartment .

 (2) The indicator disperses only in the compartment

that is being measured .

 (3) The indicator is not metabolized or excreted.

Plasma Volume, Total Blood Volume, & Red
Cell Volume

Plasma volume has been measured by using dyes

that become bound to plasma protein—particularly
Evans blue.
 If one knows the plasma volume and the hematocrit (ie,
the percentage of the blood volume that is made up of
cells), the total blood volume can be calculated by
multiplying the plasma volume by :
 Example:The hematocrit is 38 and the plasma
volume 3500 mL. The total blood volume is :

Isotopic (radioactive 131 )method :

50ml of plasma are treated with radioactive
iodine & then injected
 The red cell volume
 The red cell volume (volume occupied by all the
circulating red cells in the body) can be determined by
subtracting the plasma volume from the total blood
volume.
 It may also be measured independently by injecting
tagged red blood cells and, after mixing has occurred,
measuring the fraction of the red cells that is tagged.
A commonly used tag is 51Cr, a radioactive isotope
of chromium that is attached to the cells by incubating
them in a suitable chromium solution. Isotopes of iron
and phosphorus (59Fe and 32P) and antigenic
tagging have also been employed.
 Extracellular Fluid Volume

 Perhaps the most accurate measurement

of ECF volume is that obtained by using
inulin, a polysaccharide with a molecular
weight of 5200. Mannitol and sucrose
have also been used to measure ECF
volume.
 Interstitial Fluid Volume
 The volume of the interstitial fluid can be
calculated by subtracting the plasma volume
from the ECF volume.
 The ECF volume / intracellular fluid
volume ratio is larger in infants and
children than it is in adults .

 Therefore,dehydration develops more

rapidly and is frequently more severe in
children
3 Liters

12 Liters

25 Liters
 Intracellular Fluid Volume
 The intracellular fluid volume cannot be measured
directly, but it can be calculated by subtracting the ECF
volume from the TBW.

 TBW can be measured by the same dilution principle

used to measure the other body spaces. Deuterium oxide
(D2O, heavy water) is most frequently used. D2O has
slightly different properties from those of H2O, but in
equilibration experiments for measuring body water it
gives accurate results. Tritium oxide (3H2O) and
aminopyrine have also been used for this purpose.
 Regulation of RBCs volume
 Rapid mechanism : (contraction of the spleen )
…… As occurs during haemorrhage.

 Slow mechanism : Increase the rate of synthesis

of RBCs from the bone marrow .

(Hypoxia stimulates the kidney to secrete

erythropoietin H that acts on BM to increase
the rate of synthesis of new RBCs .
 Regulation of plasma volume
Rapid mechanism : interchange between
plasma , interstitial fluid and intracellular .
 If plasma volume is increased ; increase in the
capillary pressure so, increase in the filtering
force .

 If plasma volume is decreased ; decrease in the

capillary pressure so, decrease in the filtering
force . At the same time increase of the osmotic
pressure so increase of the reabsorbing force .
 Slow mechanism
 Mechanical factors : Pressure diuresis and
natriuresis
 Nervous factors : Increase of blood volume…
Stretchesthe baroreceptors….reflex…………
sympathetic inhibition so dilatation of renal
arterioles
 Hormonal factors : ANP - Decreased ADH and
Aldosterone H .
 A) Physiological
 Contrction of blood reservoirs as the spleen in
response to exercise , emotional stress and
hypoxia .
 Age : Adult has large blood volume than child .
However, a child has a greater blood volume per
Kg of body weight than an adult .

N.B. The blood volume is closely related to the

surface area than to body weight .
 Sex: Blood volume is about 2.9L/sq.m
surface area in male but 2.5 in female .
Meals : a very small increase in blood
volume can be observed .
Exercise : First produces contraction of the
spleen But later on cause capillary dilatation
with increase in the permeability so, decrease in
the plasma volume .
Erect posture :Changing the position from prone
to erect diminish the plasma volume due to
passage of fluid out into the tissues of the lower
limb .
 High altitude : produces an increase in the
erythrocyte volume due to contraction of the
spleen and stimulation of bone marrow for
erythropoiesis .
 Environmental temperature : Cold is considered
as stress so, contraction of the spleen.
 But sever cold increases the filtration of
capillary pores .
 (b) - Pathological factors
 Blood volume is increased in :
 Hydration
 Polycythemia
 leukemia

 Blood volume is decreased in :

 Dehydration & Burns .
 anaemia
 Haemorrhage