Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts

Sunday, February 3, 2008

How much water do you need a day?

Water is an important structural component of skin cartilage, tissues and organs. For human beings, every part of the body is dependent on water. Our body comprises about 75% water: the brain has 85%, blood is 90%, muscles are 75%, kidney is 82% and bones are 22% water. The functions of our glands and organs will eventually deteriorate if they are not nourished with good, clean water.

The average adult loses about 2.5 litres water daily through perspiration, breathing and elimination. Symptoms of the body's deterioration begins to appear when the body loses 5% of its total water volume. In a healthy adult, this is seen as fatigue and general discomfort, whereas for an infant, it can be dehydrating. In an elderly person, a 5% water loss causes the body chemistry to become abnormal, especially if the percentage of electrolytes is overbalanced with sodium.One can usually see symptoms of aging, such as wrinkles, lethargy and even disorientation. Continuous water loss over time will speed up aging as well as increase risks of diseases.

If your body is not sufficiently hydrated, the cells will draw water from your bloodstream, which will make your heart work harder. At the same time, the kidneys cannot purify blood effectively. When this happens, some of the kidney's workload is passed on to the liver and other organs, which may cause them to be severely stressed. Additionally, you may develop a number of minor health conditions such as constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nosebleeds, urinary tract infection, coughs, sneezing, sinus pressure, and headaches.

So, how much water is enough for you? The minimum amount of water you need depends on your body weight. A more accurate calculation, is to drink an ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight.

Amount of water (ml) = (weight (in kg) X 2.2 X 450)/30

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Living fossils


The coelacanth (pronounced SEE-la-canth) is a primitive lobe-finned fish (Crossopterrgii) that appeared about 380 million years ago (about 150 million years before the dinosaurs appeared). The coelacanth's scientific name is Latimeria chalumnae (Genus species).

Coelacanths are sometimes called “living fossils” because scientists thought they were extinct for at least 65 millions years ago. They are rare, endangered species. They have an extra lobe on the tail and a lobed fin. Coelacanths are the only living animals to have a fully functional intracranial joint, which is a division separating the ear and brain from the nasal organs and eye. Coelacanths eat small fish, such as cardinal fish and lantern fish.