Fluids

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 21:16:25 +0100, in
<[email hidden]>, "Simonb"

Quoted message said:

On my ride this afternoon, bursting for a pee, I was wondering whether the
body is able to draw on fluid stored in the bladder, or whether, once it's
in there, it's waste and the body cannot use it? Anyone know?

Once it's there it's useless. Unless you fit a second hose to your
camelback.

--
I remember when the internet was only in black & white.
It only had a few pages but at least they all worked.

Simonb said:

On my ride this afternoon, bursting for a pee, I was wondering whether the
body is able to draw on fluid stored in the bladder, or whether, once it's
in there, it's waste and the body cannot use it? Anyone know?

How funny, I remember asking exactly the same question of my biology teacher 26 years ago. The answer is no.
It's a funny feeling to be desperate for a pee and incredibly thirsty at the same time.

moet said:

Simonb said:

On my ride this afternoon, bursting for a pee, I was wondering
whether the
body is able to draw on fluid stored in the bladder, or whether, once
it's
in there, it's waste and the body cannot use it? Anyone know?

How funny, I remember asking exactly the same question of my biology
teacher 26 years ago. The answer is no.
It's a funny feeling to be desperate for a pee and incredibly thirsty
at the same time.

I wonder why not? You'd think that if the body was in danger of becoming
dehydrated, it'd be usful.

Simonb wondered:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

whether the
body is able to draw on fluid stored in the bladder, or whether, once
it's
in there, it's waste and the body cannot use it? Anyone know?

I wonder why not? You'd think that if the body was in danger of becoming
dehydrated, it'd be usful.

Conserving water is the function of the kidneys. If your body's running
low on water then the kidneys will conserve more of it, producing
smaller volumes of more concentrated urine to pass to the bladder. The
function of the bladder is to hang on to the waste products from the
kidneys until there's a convenient moment to get rid of it.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Simonb said:

moet said:

Simonb said:

On my ride this afternoon, bursting for a pee, I was wondering
whether the
body is able to draw on fluid stored in the bladder, or whether, once
it's
in there, it's waste and the body cannot use it? Anyone know?

How funny, I remember asking exactly the same question of my biology
teacher 26 years ago. The answer is no.
It's a funny feeling to be desperate for a pee and incredibly thirsty
at the same time.

I wonder why not? You'd think that if the body was in danger of becoming
dehydrated, it'd be usful.

Think about it though, by the time you're dehydrated, the body has
already scaled back pee production quite significantly - what there is,
is highly concentrated with the toxins and waste products your body
wants to be rid of. In fact, it's probably not sufficient to actually
clear the toxins out of the system fully - so there really isn't a lot
in there that the body could find useful to recover, it's already
attempted that bit further up the processing line ;-)

--

Velvet

Velvet said:

Think about it though, by the time you're dehydrated, the body has
already scaled back pee production quite significantly - what there
is, is highly concentrated with the toxins and waste products your
body wants to be rid of. In fact, it's probably not sufficient to
actually clear the toxins out of the system fully - so there really
isn't a lot in there that the body could find useful to recover, it's
already attempted that bit further up the processing line ;-)

You lot! How'd you all come to be so damn clever?

:-)

Simonb said:

Velvet said:

Think about it though, by the time you're dehydrated, the body has
already scaled back pee production quite significantly - what there
is, is highly concentrated with the toxins and waste products your
body wants to be rid of. In fact, it's probably not sufficient to
actually clear the toxins out of the system fully - so there really
isn't a lot in there that the body could find useful to recover, it's
already attempted that bit further up the processing line ;-)

You lot! How'd you all come to be so damn clever?

:-)

I had to do *something* with my time before I got hooked on this cycling
thing ;-)

--

Velvet

Danny Colyer <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Simonb wondered:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>whether the
>body is able to draw on fluid stored in the bladder, or whether, once
>it's
>in there, it's waste and the body cannot use it? Anyone know?

I wonder why not? You'd think that if the body was in danger of becoming
dehydrated, it'd be usful.

Conserving water is the function of the kidneys. If your body's running
low on water then the kidneys will conserve more of it, producing
smaller volumes of more concentrated urine to pass to the bladder. The
function of the bladder is to hang on to the waste products from the
kidneys until there's a convenient moment to get rid of it.

So that explains why darker urine is a sign of being dehydrated? Isn't the
internet great ;-)

Iain Jones said:

Danny Colyer <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Simonb wondered:

Quoted message said:

>>whether the
>>body is able to draw on fluid stored in the bladder, or whether, once
>>it's
>>in there, it's waste and the body cannot use it? Anyone know?

I wonder why not? You'd think that if the body was in danger of becoming
dehydrated, it'd be usful.

Conserving water is the function of the kidneys. If your body's running
low on water then the kidneys will conserve more of it, producing
smaller volumes of more concentrated urine to pass to the bladder. The
function of the bladder is to hang on to the waste products from the
kidneys until there's a convenient moment to get rid of it.

So that explains why darker urine is a sign of being dehydrated? Isn't the
internet great ;-)

Yup!

--

Velvet

Simonb said:

You lot! How'd you all come to be so damn clever?

I'm really quite a thicko
as most of you can tell.
I leant my stuff from't Daily Mail
And u.r.c as well.

James

James Hodson said:

Simonb said:

You lot! How'd you all come to be so damn clever?

I'm really quite a thicko
as most of you can tell.
I leant my stuff from't Daily Mail
And u.r.c as well.

James

Hooray!

Simonb said:

James Hodson said:

Simonb said:

You lot! How'd you all come to be so damn clever?

I'm really quite a thicko
as most of you can tell.
I leant my stuff from't Daily Mail
And u.r.c as well.

Quoted message said:

Hooray!

If only I were lying. :-0

James

Velvet said:

In fact, it's probably not sufficient to actually
clear the toxins out of the system fully - so there really isn't a lot
in there that the body could find useful to recover, it's already
attempted that bit further up the processing line ;-)Velvet

and yet urine is sterile.

we can use it to wash wounds with. but not to drink. i dont think we can drink it. what if you stopped to boil it??? i am talking in a desperate situation here.

I dont know. then you'd have to carry a pot and some flint with you on your bike outings.

JuneBug said:

Velvet said:

In fact, it's probably not sufficient to actually
clear the toxins out of the system fully - so there really isn't a lot
in there that the body could find useful to recover, it's already
attempted that bit further up the processing line ;-)Velvet

and yet urine is sterile.

we can use it to wash wounds with. but not to drink. i dont think we
can drink it. what if you stopped to boil it??? i am talking in a
desperate situation here.

Won't be harmful if it's not the urine of a dehydrated person,
i.e. less saturated than the max your kidneys can make. If it is, it
may make you lose some water getting rid of it.

There's people who drink urine. AFAICT, urine's mainly considered
unpleasant because of social reasons, i.e. if something smells of
[censored], it's cause there's been someone else there marking it as
theirs. I don't think we're as far removed from dogs as we like to
think.

A

JuneBug said:

Velvet said:

In fact, it's probably not sufficient to actually
clear the toxins out of the system fully - so there really isn't a lot
in there that the body could find useful to recover, it's already
attempted that bit further up the processing line ;-)Velvet

and yet urine is sterile.

we can use it to wash wounds with. but not to drink. i dont think we
can drink it. what if you stopped to boil it??? i am talking in a
desperate situation here.

I dont know. then you'd have to carry a pot and some flint with you on
your bike outings.

People *have* drunk it, where there's no other alternative (ie, at sea)
but all it does it tip the waste products straight back into the system
again, and you use far more water than you pee, so you'd continue to
dehydrate rapidly.

Boiling it'd just drive off what water there might be - if you could
condense the steam then that *might* be drinkable in that sort of
emergency situation, but personally I'd look for natural sources of dew
in that sort of situation - leaves, grass, etc. Of course it depends on
the environment as to whether it's possible, but even in the desert you
can fashion a dew-collector out of a bit of plastic sheeting, a cup, and
a few supports. Not that I've done so personally, but seen it done :-)

--

Velvet

JuneBug [email hidden] opined the
following...

Quoted message said:

and yet urine is sterile.

Not so much a matter or "sterile" as "toxic".

Quoted message said:

we can use it to wash wounds with.

Because it contains a concentration of toxins which will probably kill
many bacteria.

Quoted message said:

but not to drink. i dont think we
can drink it. what if you stopped to boil it??? i am talking in a
desperate situation here.

The problem is not that it will infect you, but that it is full of
toxins which your body was trying to get rid of. This means that you
have to process it again. In extreme circumstances (e.g. Life raft in
the middle of an ocean. No fresh water. No equipment with which to
desalinate the sea water.) it is a better source of water, but since you
will lose water through sweat it cannot be your only supply or you'll
soon dehydrate.

Boiling it will only concentrate it further.

Jon

Velvet said:

JuneBug said:

Velvet said:

In fact, it's probably not sufficient to actually
clear the toxins out of the system fully - so there really isn't a lot
in there that the body could find useful to recover, it's already
attempted that bit further up the processing line ;-)Velvet

and yet urine is sterile.

we can use it to wash wounds with. but not to drink. i dont think we
can drink it. what if you stopped to boil it??? i am talking in a
desperate situation here.

I dont know. then you'd have to carry a pot and some flint with you on
your bike outings.

People *have* drunk it, where there's no other alternative (ie, at sea)

No some people drink it for "health benefits". Apparently quite popular
in India and Japan (although some people just gargle).

--
Andy Leighton => [email hidden]
"The Lord is my shepherd, but we still lost the sheep dog trials"
- Robert Rankin, _They Came And Ate Us_

Andy Leighton [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

No some people drink it for "health benefits". Apparently quite popular
in India and Japan (although some people just gargle).

Given the proliferation of "Chinese Herbal Doctors" in Edinburgh, I
sense a fad coming. ;-)

Jon

in message <[email hidden]>, JuneBug

(') said:

Velvet said:

In fact, it's probably not sufficient to actually
clear the toxins out of the system fully - so there really isn't a
lot in there that the body could find useful to recover, it's already
attempted that bit further up the processing line ;-)Velvet

and yet urine is sterile.

we can use it to wash wounds with. but not to drink. i dont think
we
can drink it.

Many people drink their own urine regularly and consider it
medicinal(!). Seeing it's concentrated poisons your body was trying to
get rid of this strikes me as pseudo-pscience up there with homeopathy,
but you can certainly do it regularly and survive. In an emergency you
could certainly drink it, although, again, as will in those
circumstances be even more concentrated, I doubt it would do you much
good (unless you could distill it).

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; lovely alternative to rice.