He Interstitial fluid or Tissue fluid Is a fluid that bathes and wraps the cellular tissue and is in the interstice, the space between cells, also known as space between tissues.
A person will have an average of 20 liters of interstitial fluid in his body, constituting about 16% of the body's total weight, and supplying nutrients to the cells of the body, besides being a means for the removal or elimination of waste.
The human body has on average an amount of 4.5 to 5.5 liters of blood, which means a greater amount of interstitial fluid in the body. This liquid is composed of various elements, such as salts, amino acids, hormones, etc.
There are two of body fluids: intracellular fluids and extracellular fluids. The first term comprises the fluids that are inside the cells. The second refers to the fluids outside the cells, which comprise the plasma, the transcellular fluid and the interstitial fluid.
The main physiological function of the interstitial fluid is that because they are bathing and surrounding tissue cells, they provide a means for delivering materials to cells, as well as intercellular communication and elimination of metabolic wastes.
Interstitial fluid in the lymphatic system
The lymphatic system is an anatomical structure that transports the lymph unidirectionally towards the heart, and is part of the circulatory system. Among its functions, the lymphatic system controls the concentration of proteins in the interstitium, the volume of the interstitial fluid and its pressure.
In turn, lymph is a clear, somewhat whitish, liquid that travels through the lymphatic vessels. This fluid occurs after the overflow of fluid exiting the blood capillaries into the interstitial space.
Thus, between the functions of the lymph, this liquid is responsible for collecting and returning the interstitial fluid to the blood.
Interstitial fluid overflow
There are a number of diseases or clinical signs that manifest in the lymphatic system.
The formation of lymphatic or lymphatic edema represents a pathology related to the interstitial fluid.
Edema is considered a clinical sign that consists of the accumulation of fluid in the intercellular or interstitial space, as well as in the cavities of the organism.
An edema is formed when excessive secretion of fluid occurs into the interstitial space, or when it is not properly recovered, which may be due to problems of resorption as well as lymphatic problems.
Interstitial fluid content
The interstitial liquid consists of an aqueous solvent, composed mainly of water, solutes and proteins. Among the solutes that it has, are: sugar, salts, acids, hormones, neurotransmitters, waste and electrolytes.
The amount of protein present in the interstitial fluid is lower than that present in plasma. The composition of the tissue fluid depends on the exchanges between the cells in the tissue and the blood, therefore, the interstitial fluid has different composition in different tissues and body parts.
Similarity between plasma and interstitial fluid
The interstitial fluid is similar to plasma Of the blood, which is a liquid component of the blood.
This similarity lies in the fact that water, ions and small solutes are continuously exchanged between plasma and interstitial fluid.
Training
Hydrostatic pressure is generated by the blood pressure of the heart. This pressure pushes the water out of the capillaries. The inability of some proteins in the blood to pass through the walls of the capillaries generates a water potential.
The water passes from a high concentration, outside the vessels, to a low concentration within these in an attempt to achieve a chemical equilibrium, while the osmotic pressure carries the water back to the vessels. The balance is not reached because the blood in the capillaries flows constantly.
The balance between the two forces differs at different points in the capillaries. Thus, at the arterial end of a vessel, the hydrostatic pressure is greater at the osmotic pressure, whereby water and other solutes pass into the interstitial fluid.
In the venous end the osmotic pressure is greater, so the substances are carried back to the capillary.
This difference stems from the direction of blood flow and solute imbalance, which favors the interstitial fluid.
Removal
The lymphatic system complements the venous system in preventing the accumulation of interstitial fluid that surrounds the cells in the tissue.
Thus, the interstitial fluid can pass into the surrounding lymphatic vessels, and eventually bind to the blood. When this process fails, there may be the presence of an enema.
Role of interstitial fluid in glucose monitoring
The interstitial fluid has allowed the development of new technologies for the monitoring of diabetes.
In this sense, continuous glucose monitoring is a system that allows to measure the glucose level in the interstitial fluid by inserting a small sensor under the skin, which sends the results to a screen once every few minutes.
However, the level of glucose in the interstitial fluid is not exactly the same as that of blood.
In addition, blood glucose levels rise and fall earlier than in the interstitial fluid, so that continuous monitoring of glucose will present a delay of approximately 10 minutes compared to blood glucose measurement.
References
- Interstitial fluid. (2017, June 8). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:28, July 10, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org.
- Interstitial fluid. (2017, 16 January). Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia. Date of consultation: 07:28, July 10, 2017 from es.wikipedia.org.
- Interstitial medium. (2017, May 26). Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia. Date of consultation: 07:28, July 10, 2017 from es.wikipedia.org.
- Interstitial Fluid. In Diabetes.co.uk the global diabetes community. Retrieved 07:28, July 10, 2017, from www.diabetes.co.uk.
- Interstitial Fluid: Definition, Pressure & Composition. In Study.com. Retrieved 07:28, July 10, 2017, from study.com.