Interstitial Fluid Definition
Source: Biology Dictionary
Interstitial fluid, or simply tissue fluid, is a mixture of water, ions, and small solutes that are forced out of the blood plasma by the systolic pressure created when the heart pumps. Plasma is a mixture of water and many other constituents, which carry blood cells and oxygen to various parts of the body. Interstitial fluid makes up the large part of the extracellular fluid in organisms. As the heart enters the systole, or contracting phase it exerts a large pressure on the arteries in the circulatory system. These arteries, all the way down to the smallest capillaries, swell with pressure. Because the vessels are created by a series of cells, there exist small gaps between the many cells that make up a vessel, and some water and solutes can leak out.
Between the cells of the body, this fluid is known collectively as interstitial fluid. If there were no mechanism to remove it, parts of the body would swell up with pressure. Luckily, the lymphatic system is a network of vessels and tissues that actively removes the tissue fluid from tissues, and returns it to the blood plasma. Once in the lymph vessels, the fluid contains many other cells and substances which aid in the immune response, by allowing white blood cells to find and digest harmful bacteria and virus infected cells. Many cells also remove their metabolic wastes into the interstitial fluid, and the wastes are cleaned through the lymphatic system.
Related Biology Terms
- Extracellular Fluid Fluids that surround cells within the body.
- Blood Plasma The extracellular fluid that surrounds blood molecules in the vessels of the circulatory system.
- Transcellular Fluid Fluids contained within spaces that are external to the body, such as the urine, joint fluid, and ocular fluid.
- Lymphatic System A series of vessels that collects and redistributes interstitial fluid to the blood.
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Interstitial Fluid
Source: Interstitial Fluids Source
Fluid found in the spaces around cells. It comes from substances that leak out of blood capillaries (the smallest type of blood vessel). It helps bring oxygen and nutrients to cells and to remove waste products from them. As new interstitial fluid is made, it replaces older fluid, which drains towards lymph vessels. When it enters the lymph vessels, it is called lymph. Also called tissue fluid.
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Body Fluids and Fluid Compartments
Most of the water in the body is intracellular fluid. The second largest volume is the interstitial fluid, which surrounds cells that are not blood cells.
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Fluid in the Body
Source: Owlcation.com
Fluid in the body is classified according to its location. Extracellular and interstitial fluid are sometimes confused. Technically, interstitial fluid is a type of extracellular fluid.
Intracellular fluid is located within cells. Cells contain structures as well as fluid. Extracellular fluid is located outside cells. It’s generally said to include: plasma within blood vessels lymph within lymph vessels transcellular fluids (cerebrospinal fluid in the brain and spinal cord, synovial fluid in joints, pleural fluid in the lungs, fluid in the digestive and urinary tracts, etc.) interstitial fluid bathing the cells Transcellular fluids are bordered on either side by a layer of epithelium (a thin tissue that lines canals and compartments in the body).
Interstitial fluid leaves the bloodstream and bathes the cells. It’s also known as tissue fluid. Excess tissue fluid drains into lymph vessels. The tissue space, interstitial space, or interstitium is located between the blood and lymph vessels and the cells. It contains both interstitial fluid and molecules that make up the extracellular matrix or ECM. The ECM provides mechanical, adhesive, and biochemical support for cells.
FASCIA
Fascia Facts
Source: Functional Fascia
Fascia as a word is one which has only relatively recently become popularised, some would say inappropriately so, within the field of human anatomy. Fascia is defined as a sheet or band of fibrous connective tissue enveloping, separating, or binding together muscles, organs, and other tissues of the body.
The important thing to remember about fascia is that it is one type of connective tissue in a family that has many members. All fascia is connective tissue, but NOT all connective tissue is fascia.
There are four types of connective tissue that can be categorised in the following manner. Proper Connective Tissue, Blood, Bone, Cartilage
There are some surprising facts surrounding connective tissue, apart from the fact that blood is and muscle isn’t. The most important fact of note is that connective tissue is made up mostly of non-living material known as the extra cellular matrix or ECM. This ECM is to some degree as, if not more important than the cells that are contained within it and make all movement and function possible.
ECM is like the inner ocean of our bodies. All the cells that we have require space around them and this space is filled with an inert fluid that protects, cushions and holds the cells and tissues in place. The ECM has several substances that allow for repair to take place, but the essential job of it is to facilitate the smooth actioning and function.
Not all ECM is the same and has different qualities depending on which type of cell produced it in what area of the body. Blood for instance has it’s own type of ECM which is plasma. It is the plasma that holds the red and white blood cells in place and carries them around the body. Blood is comprised of over 55% plasma and, like many connective tissues, is the forgotten yet vital component many systems.
Types of Fascia
The classification of fascia is not as straightforward as we might either hope for or believe. The layer of tissue lying directly underneath the skin is known as superficial fascia – SF and although predominantly comprised of adipose, is still a functioning fascial layer.
Irrespective of the amount of adipose laid down in the body, there is still a requirement for this to be held in place by a network of collagen based fibres as demonstrated by this dissection picture. This fibrous network allows for strength, movement, flexibility and adaptation to take place, as well as for variation in adipose distribution to be supported. Read More…
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Understanding fascia: the bands that bind us…
Source: Understanding Fascia
August 3, 2016
Fascia has gone from being a nobody to being the body’s superhero. Fascia is the current biological phenomenon that is receiving long-overdue attention from body workers, athletes, medical professionals, alternative practitioners and now, finally, researchers.
The Fascia Research Society states, “Fascia is the most pervasive, but perhaps least understood network of the human body. No longer considered the ‘scraps’ of cadaver dissections, fascia has now attracted the attention of scientists and clinicians alike.”
Until recently, we understood the body to be composed of, literally, skin and bones, which supported internal systems such as muscles, organs and the fluids that make up over 60% of our body. Something was missing, however, because what holds it all in place? The skin? No. The skin is a part of the immune system and provides no structural support. And, what keeps all that water and fluid in us from pooling down at our feet?
Among the many drawings of the human anatomy, 500 years ago, Leonardo DaVinci astutely depicted fascia in one of his pieces. This remarkable depiction comes ages before its actual discovery by modern medicine.
Thomas W. Meyers, of Anatomy Trains, poses the point, “Individual muscles acting on bones across joints’ simply does not adequately explain human stability and movement.”
The answer lies in fascia. In fact, fascia could be the answer to a lot of questions about structure, movement, stability, pain and healing.muscle anatomy.
Fascia is a web of connective tissue formed in bands that wraps around all the internal parts of the body from head to toe and fuses it all together. It allows the muscles to move freely alongside other structures and reduces friction. It can be found immediately beneath the skin, around muscles, groups of muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels, organs and cells. Fascia is everywhere. Biologically, it’s what holds us together. Like a snug pair of pantyhose (as if there is any other kind), fasciae are the bands that bind us.
