DECE2-Solution(ENGLISH)-IGNOU-DAY 11-ORSP

 Sodium.

• Sodium, the principal mineral in the extracellular fluid
• It is responsible for maintaining the fluid balance.
• By fluid balance we mean the process of maintaining a balance between the
  fluid present within the cells (intracellular) and that circulating outside the cells
  (extracellular).
• Sodium along with potassium (another mineral) helps to maintain
  this balance.

(b) Regulating the alkalinity and acidity of the body fluids:

• Sodium tends to make the body fluids alkaline
• Another mineral namely chloride present in the body fluids
  tends to make them acidic
• Sodium combines with chloride in the fluid and together
  they help maintain the balance between the alkalinity and acidity of the body fluids.

(c) Aiding in the passage of messages from one nerve cell to another.
(d) Aiding the contraction of muscles 
(e) Regulating the passage of substances into and out of the Cell.

Potassium
Functions: The functions of potassium include:
(a) Regulation of the balance of intracellular and extracellular fluid:

• Potassium along with sodium helps maintain fluid balance within the cell and outside the cell.
• Sodium is the main mineral present in extracellular fluid (the fluid outside the cell).
  Potassium, on the other hand, is the principal mineral in the intracellular fluid.
  Together these two minerals help maintain fluid balance.

(b) Regulation of the alkalinity/acidity of body fluids:

• Potassium, like sodium, is alkaline.
• It combines with chloride which is acidic and together they help maintain
  the acidity/alkalinity of body fluids.
• Sodium also has this function as you studied earlier

(c) Role in muscle activity:

• Potassium has a significant role in the activity of skeletal
  and heart muscle.
• It helps in the transmission of messages which results in the
  contraction of muscle tissue.

Chloride
Functions:

• The functions of sodium, potassium and chloride are closely interlinked
  as is evident from our earlier discussion.
• Chloride combines with sodium and
  potassium and helps regulate fluid balance and acidity/alkalinity of body fluids.

(a) Oxygen transport:

• Iron is a major constituent of a red-colored compound called
  hemoglobin present in the blood.
• What is the role of hemoglobin? Hemoglobin is
  necessary for transport of oxygen to various parts of the body.
• Hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues.
• It then helps in carrying carbon dioxide from
  the tissues to the lungs. From the lungs carbon dioxide is
  then exhaled out.
• Carbon dioxide, in fact, is a waste product formed in all cells as a
  result of metabolism and it needs to be removed from the body.

(b) Provision of oxygen for muscle contraction:

• Iron is also present in the muscle in
  the form of a substance which has the capacity to store oxygen.
• This oxygen is used for muscle contraction and for other immediate needs of the muscle cells.

(c) Promotion of oxidation within cells:

• When carbohydrates, proteins and fats are
  broken down in body cells, energy is released.
• Iron helps in complete breakdown of
  these nutrients.
• You know that energy is required for the various physical activities
  we perform every day.
• This is the reason why iron is crucial in helping us to perform
  physical work.

Iodine
Functions:

• Why do we need iodine? Iodine is a component of the hormone thyroxine
  secreted by the thyroid gland.
• Thyroxine regulates the rate at which chemical
  reactions take place in the body cells.
• If this regulation does not take place, both
  physical and mental growth will be affected.
• Iodine is also believed to help in the
  functioning of nerve and muscle tissues.