Electrolyte Chemical imbalance

Running head: ELECTROLYTE CHEMICAL IMBALANCE
Electrolyte Chemical Imbalance
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Electrolyte Chemical Imbalance
Introduction
Electrolytes form an important media for the electrons and the general conduction of electricity. The process of electrolysis has been exploited in different scientific, research and industrial fields making the study of electrolyte imbalance a critical undertaking. In medicine, the understanding of electrolyte imbalance has yielded ways of understanding disorders arising from the breakdown of homeostatic processes in the body. Research and industrial applications of electrolysis are at advanced level (Satake & Mido, 2003). Today, chemists can manufacture electrolytic capacitors, electroplating tanks and batteries using the principles of electrolysis. The electrolytes will conduct electricity only when the electrodes are dipped in a solution of electrolyte and after a voltage has been applied. Since lone pairs of electrons are not able to conduct electricity, chemical reactions often occur at the cathode which then uses the electrons arising from the anode (Satake & Mido, 2003). This paper explores the concept of electrolyte chemical imbalance and in particular seeks to explain the physiological importance of electrolytes.
In biological systems, the main ions involved in electrolysis include potassium (K+), sodium (Na+), magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+), chloride (Cl-), hydrogen carbonate (HCO3-) and hydrogen phosphate (HPO42-) (Satake & Mido, 2003). Electrolytes are usually comprised of salts which play critical roles in the body including generation of electricity, contraction of muscles, water and fluid movement within the body and other several biological processes. Consequently, any imbalance of these ions may lead to conditions such as hyponatremia, hypernatremia, hypokalemia, hyperkalemia, hypochloremia, hyperchloremia, hypocalcemia, hypercalcemia, hypomagnesemia, hypermagnesemia, hypophosphatemia, and hyperphosphatemia. These conditions are often presented by patients becoming weak and fatigued. Patients can also show...