Cation

What Is Water & Electrolyte Balance?

Electrically charged atoms that exist in your body in solution are called electrolytes. Electrolytes play a vital role in fluid balance, nerve function, heart beat and oxygen content. Also known as ions, electrolytes are divided into two groups,...

What Do We Need From the Element Sodium?

Sodium is a mineral vital to proper functioning of your cells. Sodium in your body exists primarily as a positively-charged atom, or cation, and its charge is critical to its function. Sodium works in concert with chloride, a negatively charged...

Electrolyte Imbalance Effects on the Heart

Electrolytes are electrically charged atoms or groups of atoms, found within minerals that need to be . immersed within a solution in order to function properly. Electrolytes are further categorized into anions and cations. Because your body is...

Differences Between Calcium Phosphate & Calcium Carbonate

Many different calcium supplements are available over-the-counter at health food stores and drug stores. You can use these to ensure that you're getting plenty of calcium, which is an important component of the skeletal system. Calcium phosphate...

About Hyperkalemia

The balance of nutrients and minerals in the body is vital to maintaining a properly functioning body. Although the body does a good job of keeping these substances within a narrow, healthy range, many disorders and conditions can lead to...

Kidney Problems Related to High Potassium Levels in the Blood

Renal insufficiency and renal failure are caused by diabetes, high blood pressure, congenital defects, polycystic disease and glomerular diseases such as IgA nephropathy. Although all these diseases are very different, the symptoms of renal...

Difference Between Calcium Carbonate & Elemental Calcium

The elements on the periodic table can occur in nature in one of two ways: as free elements, or in compounds. A compound is a chemical combination of the atoms of one element with those of another element, or elements. Elemental calcium is pure...

How Does Potassium Affect Your Life?

Potassium is an essential nutrient that affects your life in many ways. Since your body cannot make it, you must derive it from food. Fortunately, it is abundant in dietary sources, so under normal circumstances you are not likely to suffer...

Can Potassium Bloat Stomachs?

Bloating is defined by “MedlinePlus,” a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, as “a condition in which the abdomen (belly) feels full and tight.” It is marked by a swollen abdomen. Common causes include:...

An Explanation of Sodium Acetate & Hot Ice

"Hot ice" refers to a popular chemical demonstration in which a solution of sodium acetate dissolved in water and placed in a freezer instantly solidifies when poured from its container or when a single crystal of solid sodium acetate is dropped...

Resin System Water Treatment

Some water treatment systems use resin beads to purify water by removing minerals. Partial mineral removal is called softening, and complete mineral removal is called demineralization. Most resins are made of a copolymer called...

Is Sodium Good for Your Nervous & Muscular System?

The body requires three macronutrients -- protein, carbohydrate, and fat -- in large amounts to provide cells with energy. There are also a number of micronutrients, including minerals and vitamins, that the body requires in small amounts. These...

Healthy School Vending Machines

Vending machines are found in schools across the United States; 43 percent of elementary schools, 74 percent of middle schools and 98 percent of high schools have them, reports the National Association of School Nurses. However, most of them are...

Sodium Bicarbonate for Heartburn

Heartburn can often be prevented with lifestyle changes, such as losing excess weight. Since heartburn often strikes at night, sleeping with your chest elevated by pillows helps prevent stomach acid from escaping the stomach. Identifying and...

Does a Lack of Potassium Cause Heart Palpitations?

Potassium is an essential dietary mineral, which must be tightly regulated to maintain normal body function. It is the main cation, an atom having a positive charge, in the fluid inside the cells. It is this positive charge that allows potassium...

Is Too Much Potassium Bad for You?

Potassium is an electrolyte that is needed for the body to function properly. It is important to maintain a balance of potassium in the blood. Both high and low levels can be dangerous. Causes of high potassium levels include excessive intake,...

How Potassium Reacts With Iodine

Potassium and iodine are two elements, or simple forms of matter. They can react with each other through a specific sort of chemical interaction called an electron transfer, leading to the formation of potassium iodide salt. This reaction yields...

Ingredients in Dial Liquid Soap

Dial Liquid Hand Soap Gold is a liquid soap composition designed to both remove dirt and kill a broad spectrum of bacteria. The formula contains cleansers and fragrances that are gentle but effective on skin. It comes in a pump bottle that is...

What Causes FSGS?

Focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS) is a progressive kidney disease that frequently results in renal failure. Nephcure reports that 14.4 percent of all pediatric dialysis patients have FSGS. It is the second leading cause of kidney...

What Should an Adult's Sodium Level Be?

Sodium is a cation, or positively charged ion, that is abundant in the extracellular tissues. It has a variety of purposes in the human body, including regulation of blood and body fluids and transmission of nerve impulses. For adults, a normal...

How to Lower Potassium Level in the Kidneys

Potassium is a mineral found in food. It plays a role in maintaining a regular heartbeat and is involved in regulating muscle tissue. If potassium level is too high, it can cause an irregular heartbeat or a heart attack. The kidneys typically...

Risks Associated With Extremely High Levels of Potassium

Consuming extremely high levels of potassium can be dangerous. Having too much potassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia. Levels of potassium between 3.6 and 4.8 mEq/L are normal, and those above 6 mEq/L are dangerously high, according to the...

Vitamins & Nutrients in Fresh Pineapple

Pineapple is a citrus fruit full of vitamins for a healthy diet. Pineapples are grown in tropical countries like Brazil and Paraguay. The fruit is commonly known for its sweet, yellow interior and its prickly outer skin. Pineapples are used as...

Can Magnesium Interact With Atenolol?

Supplements with minerals, including magnesium, can be taken to prevent deficiencies, but they can also affect different medications. Atenolol is a drug sometimes used to treat high blood pressure, but magnesium can interfere with its absorption....

Daily Requirements of Potassium

Potassium is an important electrolyte found in a variety of foods and nutritional supplements. As an essential element, it functions in a variety of body processes, helping to conduct nerve signals and regulate blood pressure. Assuring your diet...

The Role That Potassium Plays in the Human Body

Potassium is a mineral found in the body's chemistry. Often referred to as an electrolyte, it provides a positive charge that helps catalyze the body's metabolic processes. Potassium plays many important roles in the body. It is the most abundant...

What Is the Most Abundant Electrolyte Found in Blood Plasma?

Blood is composed of cellular material -- red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets -- as well as noncellular material. When the cells are removed from blood, a liquid substance called plasma remains. Plasma is water into which a wide...

What Are the Dangers of Magnesium Stearate?

Magnesium stearate, also referred to as octadecanoic acid, is a salt containing magnesium cation and stearic acid. It has lubricating properties that prevent ingredients from sticking together. It is used to bind sugar in hard candies and is a...