thirst
Sign in to savethumb|Thirst (1886), by William-Adolphe Bouguereau Thirst is the craving for potable fluids, resulting in the basic instinct of animals to drink. It is an essential mechanism involved in fluid balance. It arises from a lack of fluids or an increase in the concentration of certain osmolites, such as sodium. If the water volume of the body falls below a certain threshold or the osmolite concentration becomes too high, structures in the brain detect changes in blood constituents and signal thirst.
AI overview
Thirst is the body's craving for fluids that triggers the instinct to drink, serving as an essential mechanism to maintain proper fluid balance. This sensation arises when the body detects either a drop in water volume or an increase in salt concentration, with specialized brain structures recognizing these changes and signaling the need to drink.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Detection
- Decreased volume
- Renin-angiotensin system
- Others
- Cellular dehydration and osmoreceptor stimulation
- Salt craving
- Elderly
- Thirst quenching
- Neurophysiology
- See also
- References
- Further reading
thumb|Thirst (1886), by William-Adolphe Bouguereau Thirst is the craving for potable fluids, resulting in the basic instinct of animals to drink. It is an essential mechanism involved in fluid balance. It arises from a lack of fluids or an increase in the concentration of certain osmolites, such as sodium. If the water volume of the body falls below a certain threshold or the osmolite concentration becomes too high, structures in the brain detect changes in blood constituents and signal thirst.
Continuous dehydration can cause acute and chronic diseases, but is most often associated with renal and neurological disorders. Excessive thirst, called polydipsia, along with excessive urination, known as polyuria, may be an indication of diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus.