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The body is composed of water, minerals, and a wide variety of organic compounds including protein, fat, carbohydrate and other organic substances. All of these substances are distributed in various forms and amounts, some as solids and many in solution, in the ICF and ECF compartments of the body. Some of the dissolved compounds, are uniquely restricted to one or another of these compartments and these compounds, by virtue of their osmotic activity, play a unique role in determining the volume of water in the body and its distribution among the body compartments. Of particular importance in this regard is the restriction of Na+ to the ECF, of K+ to the ICF, and of plasma protein, primarily albumin, to the intravascular space or PV as illustrated in the figure. |
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