The periodic table contains one hundred and 118 elements. These elements range from some of the most known, such as oxygen, to some of the most unknown, protactinium. Out of these 118 element I think the most important one is sodium(Na). Sodium is is a soft metal at room temperature and is in the first group, which are the Alkali Metals (1). It’s atomic number is eleven and it is in the third period on the periodic table (1). Sodium is used in many different compounds such as sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, and sodium hydroxide. Sodium does a great deal of things like salt our food, maintain our health, and stabilize water. These are just a few of the examples why sodium is the most important element. Sodium was founded by Sir Humphrey …show more content…
The sodium in our body plays a very important role in the fluid outside of our cells (extracellular fluid) (5). Sodium found here is vital because it helps preserve the volume of our plasma and this gives suitable fluid to pass over or through the vessels of different organs, and also allows for natural metabolism (4). Sodium is usually used as an extracellular cation, and because of this it is typically located in the blood and lymph fluid (5). The preservation of this extracellular fluid is a crucial role of the sodium found in the body (5). Another important role that sodium has in our bodies is when the concentrations of sodium and chloride ions change it allows neurons to send signals to each other and to other cells (5). This exchange of signals assists with nerve transmission and mechanical movement (5). The fact that this element aids in helping our bodies function properly is one major reason that sodium is the best …show more content…
We come in contact with it at some point everyday. Whether it be drinking it, washing our hands , or taking a shower. What would happen if our water was contaminated? If water has a lower pH level than about 7 it is considered acidic (6). A negative aspect of acidic water is that it can extract metal or lead from plumbing, which will then get into the water (6). If people drink water containing metal or lead it can create serious health problems; such as nervous system damage, learning disabilities, and stunting of kids growth (8). Water contaminated with metals can also eat through pipes and tear up plumbing (6). Sodium carbonate (soda ash) is an easy treatment for this problem. Its chemical formula is CNa2O3 (9). Adding sodium carbonate to acidic water raises the pH levels (6). This treatment of water contamination does not cause hardness problems in the water unlike some other methods used (6). Once again the element sodium shows its power by combining with another compound to help purify a contaminated everyday object. Another use of sodium is for dental care. The compound mainly used is sodium fluoride (FNa) (10). It helps reduce cavities by making teeth more resistant to tooth decay and bacteria (11). The fluoride attaches to the enamel of the tooth which in turn helps prevent the deterioration of the enamel
Potassium works with sodium to regulate the body’s water balance. The kidneys help to control the blood pressure by controlling the amount of fluid stored in the body. Therefore, the more fluid then the higher the blood pressure is. The kidneys do this by filtering out the blood and extracting any extra fluid, which then is stored in the bladder as urine. This is done very delicately as both sodium and potassium pull the water across the wall of the cells from the bloodstream into a collecting channel that leads to the bladder. When eating to much salt, the amount of sodium in the bloodstream will be imbalanced compared to the amount of potassium and thus reducing the ability of the kidneys remove the extra fluid. Eating more fruit and vegetables, the potassium levels increase and can help restore the chemical imbalance. However, there is a possibility of too much potassium, also known as hyperkalemia, which can lead to other issues like renal failure.
Always let your water flush out for two minutes because lead builds up in the pipe. Have a filter on your sink water so your water can be more purified. Bottle water is not necessarily the best stuff, regular tap water according to natural resource say that sixty million plastic bottles are made and then just throw on the floor and that hurts your community environment health. Read the labels on the back of shampoos, hair dyes, and even lotion because they can
.It also helps to adjust the Ph of body fluids. Your body cells continually use
While if water with a pH above seven (basic) will not cause the person who consumes it any health effects. It will just have an alkaline taste which may not be pleasing to the consumer. pH is extremely important to our cells as a slight change in pH in our cells can be harmful. For example, if the pH of human blood is not maintained, the person will end up dying in a few minutes. pH is also important to the environment. For example, if precipitation becomes acidic (a pH of less than 5.6 is considered acidic precipitation), it can kill some organisms in the environment by interfering with the organisms’ chemical processes of life. If water is contaminated, it can be fatal for one to drink. Usually, water is contaminated with contaminants such as copper, lead, iron, sodium and bacteria. If water is contaminated with higher level of sodium than there is water, and a person drinks it for a long period of time, it will be unsafe, and most likely fatal to the person. This is because the person’s cells will shrivel up as they are drinking a hypertonic solution. Thus if one were to drink water with a high sodium concentration than there is water, they will eventually end up being dehydrated, (due to their cells shrivelling up) and face an inevitable death if they continue to drink the water that has a high concentration of salt. Also if a person drinks water that is
distal tubule adjusts the ionic balance of the body by changing the amount of sodium
Rock Salt is a sedimentary rock that forms from the evaporation of ocean or salt lake waters. It is also known by the mineral name Halite. The chemical name is sodium chloride. Most people have heard of the Dead Sea between Jordan and Israel. Rock Salt is forming there today. It can also be found at the Great Salt Lake of North America, you may be more familiar with Salt Lake City, Utah. This is a rare rock to find at the Earth’s surface. Rock Salt is often mined for and used to treat highways in winter and can be processed to use as seasoning for foods (Geology.com, 2016).
I was fascinated by this experiment that we recently did on water contamination, tap water versus expensive bottled water. Our water is tap well water. While exploring the topic futher, our research area took place on our kitchen counter where we observed how the test chemicals reacted with the tap water versus the bottled waters. We needed to follow the directions thoroughly, so we got accurate results. We started with test strips of ammonia: all three glasses of water contained: 0 mg/L of ammonia, 0 mg/L of chloride. The 4 in 1 showed: Tap water; 0 mg/L, total alkalinity; 10.0 of total chlorine, 120 mg/L of total hardness. The Dasani revealed 40 mg/L of total alkalinity, 0 mg/L of total chlorine, 0 mg/L of total hardness. The Fiji
The serum sodium levels appear to be higher than normal because the water is shifting from the ECF into the intracellular compartments (ICF).
sodium is the most abundant electrolyte on the extra cellular fluid, and is a good indicator of water body balance. Water always follow sodium.
A sodium channel consists of four homologous domains with each domain containing six alpha helix transmembrane segments. The two beta segments can be used for stability, selectivity or other processes dependent on the type of channel. Each segment is labeled s1-s6 with s4 as the voltage sensor composed of positively charged amino acids which moves upwards out of the cell during cell depolarization. The s5-s6 segments line the outer pore, which is the site of ion flux. There are many isoforms of sodium channels coding in different regions of the genome and these sodium channel types also mediate specific functions in certain regions of the body. For reference, mammals contain sodium channels 1.1-1.9 (Nav1.1-Nav1.9) with known functions for
Fluoride is a trace element that possess many beneficial effects on skeletal and dental health. It prevents tooth decay by providing resistance against acids, supporting remineralization, and hindering the process of bacteria being able to produce. Another function is blocking osteoporosis from forming, and minimizes bone demineralization. Supplements can be developed from fluoride and provide protection for teeth to give them extra support. However, there is a certain amount that must be taken, failure in exceeding the minimum cause the mottling of teeth.
Fluoride is a natural element that is known to effectively strengthen the tooth enamel. It works by remineralizing teeth, making your pearly whites more resistant to decay and the harmful effects of acid. We can benefit from the wonders
Sodium fluoride is used in most toothpastes, mouthwashes, dental varnish, dental preparations, and nutritional supplements. Sodium fluoride is also utilized for the fabrication of chemical and biological weapons. Although this form of fluoride can be used
When fluoride is applied directly to the teeth, it incorporates into the outer layer of enamel, making it harder and more resistance to bacterial “acid attacks” that cause tooth decay. In addition, topical fluoride can help stop early decay by remineralizing and repairing enamel.
Sodium - better known as salt - maintains the correct balance of certain fluids which bathe the cells in our bodies - essential for nerve and muscle function. However, research shows that too much salt can lead to increased blood pressure, osteoporosis - a bone-thinning disease, asthma, stomach cancer and weight