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fluid /flu·id/ (floo´id) 1. a liquid or gas; any liquid of the body. 2. composed of molecules which freely change their relative positions without separation of the mass. amniotic fluid the liquid within the amnion that bathes the developing fetus and protects it from mechanical injury. cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) the fluid contained within the ventricles of the brain, the subarachnoid space, and the central canal of the spinal cord. follicular fluid the fluid in a developing ovarian follicle. interstitial fluid the extracellular fluid bathing most tissues, excluding the fluid within the lymph and blood vessels. intracellular fluid the portion of the total body water with its dissolved solutes which are within the cell membranes. prostatic fluid the secretion of the prostate gland, which contributes to formation of the semen. Scarpa's fluid endolymph. seminal fluid semen. synovial fluid synovia; the transparent, viscid fluid secreted by the synovial membrane and found in joint cavities, bursae, and tendon sheaths.
fluid [flo̅o̅′id] Etymology: L, fluere, to flow 1 a substance, such as a liquid or gas, that is able to flow and to adjust its shape to that of a container because it is composed of molecules that are able to change positions with respect to each other without separating from the total mass. 2 a body fluid, either intracellular or extracellular, involved in the transport of electrolytes and other vital chemicals to, through, and from tissue cells. See also blood, cerebrospinal fluid, lymph. fluid/electrolyte management, a nursing intervention from the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) defined as regulation and prevention of complications from altered fluid and/or electrolyte levels. See also Nursing Interventions Classification. fluid (floo´id), n a liquid or gaseous substance. fluid, crevicular, n a clear, usually unnoticeable fluid that can serve as a defense mechanism against infection by carrying antibodies and other therapeutic substances between the connective tissue and sulcus or pocket. Also called gingival sulcus fluid or sulcular fluid. fluid delivery, n the continual fluid stream of an ultrasonic instrument, either over or through the vibrating tip, which is necessary to maintain a stable instrument temperature throughout a procedure. fluid, dentinal, n the fluid content within the dentinal tubules of the dentin of the tooth. fluid, lacrimal, n a watery secretion of the lacrimal gland, commonly called tears. The fluid is secreted into the lacrimal lake, an area located between the eyeball and the upper eyelid. It helps bathe the sensitive cornea. Tearing can result from eye irritation, or during periods of emotional distress. fluid, synovial, n the small amount of fluid occurring in normal joints. Its principal function is to lubricate the joint surfaces and nourish the articular cartilage, such as in the temporomandibular joint. fluid, total body, n all the fluids contained in the body. There are two main types: the intracellular fluid, which is contained totally within the cells, and the extracellular fluid, which is contained entirely outside the cells. fluid wax, n See wax, fluid. fluid 1. a liquid or gas; any liquid of the body. 2. composed of molecules which freely change their relative positions without separation of the mass. allantoic fluid the fluid contained within the allantois. amniotic fluid the fluid within the amnion that bathes the developing fetus and protects it from mechanical injury. ascitic fluid see ascites. fluid balance a state in which the volume of body water and its solutes (electrolytes and nonelectrolytes) are within normal limits and there is normal distribution of fluids within the intracellular and extracellular compartments. The total volume of body fluids should be about 60% of the body weight, and it should be distributed so that one-third is extracellular fluid and two-thirds intracellular fluid. Although this distribution remains constant in a healthy animal, there is continuous movement of fluid into and out of the various compartments. See also dehydration, water intoxication. body f's the fluids within the body, composed of water, electrolytes and nonelectrolytes. The volume and distribution of body fluids vary with age, sex and amount of adipose tissue. Throughout life there is a slow decline in the volume of body fluids; obesity decreases the relative amount of water in the body. Although the body fluids are continuously in motion, moving in and out of the cells, tissue spaces and vascular system, physiologists consider them to be 'compartmentalized'. Fluid within the cell membranes is called intracellular fluid and comprises about two-thirds of the total body fluids. The remaining one-third is outside the cell and is called extracellular fluid. The extracellular fluid can be further divided into tissue fluid (interstitial fluid), which is found in the spaces between the blood vessels and surrounding cells, and intravascular fluid, which is the fluid component of blood. The maintenance of a proper balance between the intracellular and extracellular fluid volumes is essential to health. In patients with heart failure and renal failure the balance becomes upset, producing either localized or generalized edema. Excessive fluid loss produces fluid volume deficit causing cellular dehydration and impaired cellular function. Bouin's fluid a histological fixative. cerebrospinal fluid the fluid contained within the ventricles of the brain, the subarachnoid space, and the central canal of the spinal cord. See also cerebrospinal fluid. fluid dram see fluid dram. fluid extract a liquid preparation of a vegetable drug, containing alcohol as a solvent or preservative, or both, of such strength that each milliliter contains the therapeutic constituents of 1 gram of the standard drug it represents. fetal fluid allantoic plus amniotic fluids. interstitial fluid the extracellular fluid bathing the cells in most tissues, excluding the fluid within the lymph and blood vessels. isotonic fluid having the same tonicity or osmotic pressure as blood. lacrimal fluid aqueous fluid secreted by the lacrimal glands; called also tears. fluid line in radiographs, the interface between fluid and gas, as in the gastrointestinal tract, will show as a straight line. fluid loss by vomiting, diarrhea, polyuria, water deprivation. See dehydration. fluid mosaic model the modern concept of the structure of a biological membrane developed by S.J. Singer and G.L. Nicolson. In it the membrane consists of protein molecules partly embedded in a discontinuous bilayer of phospholipids that form the matrix of a mosaic of functional cell units. fluid ounce see fluid ounce. pericardial, pleural, peritoneal fluid normally present in amounts sufficient only to lubricate the movement of viscera within the respective cavities. Composition similar to blood serum. fluid replacement see fluid therapy (below). fluid restriction the limitation of oral fluid intake to a prescribed amount for each 24-hour period. fluid retention see edema. spinal fluid the fluid within the spinal canal. fluid splashing sounds audible when gas and fluid are free in a cavity, e.g. abomasum in cases of abomasal displacement; can be elicited by shaking a small animal or part of a large animal (i.e. succussion) or by simultaneous percussion and auscultation. synovial fluid synovia. fluid therapy aims to replace fluids lost by disease process or by restriction of intake, or to maintain a high rate of fluid excretion to ensure removal of toxins, or to administer therapeutic or anesthetic agents slowly over a long period. The amounts and route of administration vary with the need of the patient. Normal solutions include 5% dextrose and Ringer's solution; alkalinizing fluids include lactated Ringer's and 1.3% sodium bicarbonate; acidifying solutions include isotonic saline and 1.9% ammonium chloride. fluid thrill see thrill. fluid volume deficit an imbalance in fluid volume in which there is loss of fluid from the body not compensated for by an adequate intake of water. The major causes are: (1) insufficient fluid intake, and (2) excessive fluid loss from vomiting, diarrhea, suctioning of gastric contents, or drainage through operative wounds, burns or fistulae. Decreased volume in the intravascular compartment is called hypovolemia. Because water moves freely between the compartments, extracellular fluid deficit causes intracellular fluid deficit (cellular dehydration), which leaves the cells without adequate water to carry on normal function. fluid volume excess an overabundance of water in the interstitial fluid spaces or body cavities (edema) or an excess of fluid within the blood vessels (hypervolemia) and water intoxication. Factors that contribute to the accumulation of edematous fluid are: (1) dilatation of the arteries, as occurs in the inflammatory process; (2) reduced effective osmotic pressure, as in hypoproteinemia, lymphatic obstruction and increased capillary permeability; (3) increased venous pressure, as in congestive heart failure, thrombophlebitis and cirrhosis of the liver; and (4) retention of sodium due to increased reabsorption of sodium by the renal tubules. fluid wave see thrill. fluid A liquid or gas which conforms to the shape of its container. See Body fluid, Cerebrospinal fluid, Pericardial fluid. Patient discussion about pericardial, pleural, peritoneal fluid. Q. What causes fluid to leak from the legs? A. It may be caused by chronic venous insufficiency - when the veins of your leg are not competent enough to drain the blood from the legs. It causes accumulation of blood in your legs, and the elevated pressure of the blood causes the water in the blood to leak out of the blood vessels. Read more or ask a question about pericardial, pleural, peritoneal fluidYou may read more here: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000203.htm How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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