Body fluid compartments

Total Body Water

· total amount of water in the body, is dependent on :

1) Age

% of total body weight:

Infant	late teen	adult	old age
80%	60%	60%	40 - 50%

· See a decrease from birth to old age, most of the decreases occurring within the first 10 years of life

2) Sex

· adipose tissue is essentially water free

· the greater the proportion of adipose tissue the less the % fluid levels

· adult females have relatively more adipose tissue than males

· adult females have considerably less water in their bodies than males

Fluid Distribution

· it is the interstitial compartment that diminishes in percentage contribution from infancy to young adult; intracellular water and plasma water contributions remain the same throughout life