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So you can all see now that for our bodies to work correctly, the volumes of the two kinds of fluids, intracellular and intravascular, must be regulated, or controlled.

More often than not, we take in more water and sodium than we need. The extra is excreted by our kidneys. But what happens if water and/or sodium levels in the body actually drop below the needed amount?

What we call CORRECTIONAL MECHANISMS, in this case, the drinking of water or taking in sodium, are then turned on, and you feel thirsty or you feel a need to get salt. REALLY!!!! It is possible to actually have a craving for salt.

Everyone knows what it is like to be playing soccer, or doing any type of activity in class, and to get thirsty. But you can actually have what they call a "salt appetite." It is not a common thing however, because normally we get enough sodium in our diet without having to dump extra salt on our food =) Mechanisms, or ways to increase sodium intake do exist though for human beings.

So, when we have either of these two "compartments" for fluid, and the levels of fluid in them drops, it causes a need to drink water. And we give these two types of thirst separate names, osmometric thirst and volumetric thirst respectfully (for intracellular and intravascular fluids).

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